740.0011 European War 1939/10898: Telegram
The Minister in Rumania (Gunther) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 14—2:50 a.m.]
427. Your 235, May 6, 7 p.m. Ever since the beginning of the war I have held it as one of my principal duties to see that as large a number of official and other Rumanians as possible be kept promptly informed of our position in the present conflict. As time went on and our policy crystallized I have lost no opportunity in bringing to their attention the significance of and our absolute conviction of the ultimate and complete defeat of the forces of aggression.
[Page 311]In following this course I and the members of my staff have been greatly aided by the Department’s radio bulletins giving your declarations and speeches as well as those of the President and other American officials for England. Indeed for some time past I have had the most important of these declarations and speeches mimeographed and circulated to an increasing number of Rumanian officials and other interested persons. This has been much appreciated, particularly as there has been no authoritative news from the United States for the past 8 or more months other than that obtained from the radio (owing to atmospheric conditions reception is frequently poor and in any case is only possible with high powered sets) as the satire [satellite?] newspapers are completely under German control and American news, if and when given, is usually either distorted or presented in such a way as to throw discredit on us.
I shall naturally continue to do my utmost to see that our position is kept before as large a number of Rumanian officials and other interested persons as can be reached; and in this connection I believe it would be helpful if the radio bulletins could be as complete as possible in covering American news, not only official statements of our position but timely items as to the extent and scope of our realized physical effort to bring about the complete victory of democracy.