740.00119 European War 1939/1972
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Aide-Mémoire
The Department of State has now received the following information to supplement that contained in its aide-mémoire to the Soviet Embassy of November 18, 1943,44 regarding the endeavors of the First Secretary of the Rumanian Legation in Madrid to ascertain on behalf of Mr. Mihai Antonescu what Rumania should do in order to withdraw from the war:
The Rumanian Secretary of Legation has been instructed to return to Bucharest for fifteen days leave because of alleged illness in his family, but has made known to the American Ambassador in Madrid his belief that he is really being called back to discuss the problem of Rumania’s withdrawal from the war. Because of the difficulty of communication between officials in Rumania and representatives of the United Nations, he purposes to suggest that arrangements be made for a high-ranking officer of the Rumanian Army, carrying full authorization to negotiate an armistice on the basis of unconditional surrender, to proceed to Ankara by commercial plane and then to Syria by train for the purpose of entering into negotiations with Allied representatives there or at any other place they may wish to designate.