740.00119 European War 1939/2023: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain ( Hayes ) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 15—1:29 a.m.]
3671. Your 2462, November 18, 6 p.m. First Secretary Rumanian Legation informs me he did not go to Bucharest. However, he says private secretary of Mihai Antonescu has passed through Madrid en route to Lisbon as courier and has told him members of Rumanian Council including Marshal Antonescu have decided to surrender unconditionally but with surrender timed so as to coincide with entry into Rumania of British and American as well as Russian troops. Hope was expressed British and Americans would enter by sea through Dardanelles.
No letter to this effect could be sent out by courier because of increasing fear that Germans will examine courier correspondence but at appropriate time a Rumanian military officer would proceed to Near East as already suggested in order to discuss armistice terms and effective date of surrender.
Courier intends to spend a day in Madrid on return from Lisbon and I shall report any new development.
Secretary says 3 German divisions now in Rumania (he says previous estimate of 30 divisions erroneous) and considerable number in Hungary, Bulgaria, southern Poland and east of Bessarabia. He says seven Rumanian divisions in Rumania, all well equipped, as well as fairly large reserves but latter not equipped. Bulk of Rumanian Army in Crimea.