871.404/150

The Minister in Rumania ( Gunther ) to the Secretary of State

No. 1592

Sir: Reference is made to my telegram No. 544, of September 17, 6 p.m., regarding the decision issued by the Ministry of Cults and Arts on September 9th, governing the various religious organizations in Rumania. It was then particularly noted that, although the “existence” of the Mosaic faith was recognized, it was not included in the list of cults authorized and protected by the State, and separate regulations were issued to govern the exercise of the faith and all [Page 773] other Jewish activities. I now have the honor to enclose herewith a translation of the decision, as well as of a new set of regulations governing confessions in general, the special regulations pertaining to the Jewish faith and a decision regarding the suppression of religious associations.7

The foregoing decisions and regulations have since been suspended. The drastic limitations which they placed upon the exercise of the Mosaic faith naturally produced consternation in Jewish circles and, as indicated in the telegram already cited, the President of the Jewish Community (Dr. W. Fildermann) immediately made representations to Premier Antonescu on the subject. According to Dr. Fildermann, General Antonescu received these representations in a sympathetic, reassuring manner and directed his Minister of Cults and Arts to accord them careful consideration. But on September 14th the New Iron Guard Government converted the Ministry of Cults and Arts into an Under Secretariat of the Ministry of National Education; and Dr. Fildermann found in his first interview with the new Iron Guardist Under Secretary that he was disposed to treat the Jews and the Jewish problem with all severity. Becoming thereupon genuinely apprehensive, Dr. Fildermann busied himself with new representations to the Premier which apparently bore fruit. On September 18th he received a letter from the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers quoting a communication from General Antonescu which said in part:

“Assure Dr. Fildermann …8 that if his coreligionists do not openly or secretly sabotage the regime, either politically or economically, the Jewish population will not suffer.

“General Antonescu keeps his word.”

A copy of the full text of the Premier’s letter, as furnished the Legation by Dr. Fildermann, is enclosed herewith.9

Then on the following day, September 19th, came the announcement of fresh decisions suspending those of September 9th “until such time as the regime governing religious associations and communities shall have been definitely regulated by legislation”. Translations of the suspending decisions form an enclosure hereto.9

On September 19th, before he had been apprised of the suspensions, Dr. Fildermann called on Mr. Benton9a by appointment for the express purpose of acquainting the Legation with the circumstances and, undoubtedly, of enlisting its sympathy and possible support. I am enclosing a copy of Mr. Benton’s memorandum9 of the conversation, [Page 774] since it contains some very useful data and background information regarding the Jewish position in this country at the present time.

The position now is, then, that Premier Antonescu, desirous of consolidating governmental authority and restoring order rather than provoking new complications or taking over-hasty action pointing to persecution, is making every endeavor to moderate the enthusiasm of the youthful, impatient, essentially anti-Semitic element newly come to power. Suspension of the former decisions is an indication that he has in this instance been successful, at least to a degree, and that the problem is to be reviewed in favor of a less hurried solution. It can not be expected that such new regulations as may be issued will be in any way favorable to the Jews, but I believe that General Antonescu was sincere in his recent assurances to me that there would be no real persecution or anything in the nature of a pogrom.

A few minor anti-Semitic measures have in the meantime been taken, such as: The elimination of certain Jews from activities in State and private theaters; the prohibition for Jewish bookshops to sell school books and equipment, exclusion of Jewish lawyers from various bars, dismissal of numbers of Jews from the different Ministries and official institutions, elimination of Jews from the stock exchange, proposed exclusion of Jews from medical practice and other similar measures.

When a few days ago I called on Professor Horia Sima, who not only has fallen heir to the leadership of the Iron Guard but is Vice President of the Council of Ministers, our conversation turned briefly on the subject of the Jews. After asserting, to my surprise, that the Legionaries had swung to the support of the Axis because it is anti-Jewish, he went on to say that he personally was anti-Jewish because the Jews had succeeded in obtaining a strangle-hold upon every branch of Rumanian life. He warned me that they were probably trying to do the same thing in America and would not be convinced that a serious Jewish problem does not exist in the United States. But the point of chief interest was his assertion that he purposed to carry out his program by pacific means rather than persecution, gradually training young Rumanians to take over the work now done by Jews. As this was in harmony with remarks made to me the other day by Premier Antonescu, who said that he planned to place young Rumanians in Jewish offices to learn their methods, I felt considerably reassured as to the intention to exercise restraint and to avoid bloodshed or any other of the more violent forms of oppression.

Furthermore, since the drafting of the above despatch it has reached me from a usually reliable source that the German authorities in Bucharest in the last day or two have warned the Rumanian Government to make less haste in the matter of ousting the Jews from their various occupations. The Germans have no desire to see the impending economic [Page 775] crisis hurried along. It would take three or four years, at least, for the gradual training of Rumanians to take the places now occupied by Jews, and before that the Germans hope to be able to demobilize and to have plenty of young men to take those places themselves. I shall not fail to point this out to the Rumanian authorities as opportunities present themselves. The Germans employ a large number of Jews here as middlemen for most of their agricultural purchases. Furthermore, the German Legation’s local lawyer is a Jew. I understand that he has recently tried to resign in the light of the general attitude towards his race but was deterred by the Minister, personally, who pleaded with him not to do so.

Respectfully yours,

Franklin Mott Gunther
  1. None printed.
  2. Omission indicated in the original despatch.
  3. Not printed.
  4. Not printed.
  5. James Webb Benton, First Secretary of Legation.
  6. Not printed.