740.00119 E.W. 1939/8–2944: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
2095. Reurtel 3203 August 28, reDeptel 2083 August 30. The Department has not yet been informed whether the Soviet Government is agreeable to the British suggestion that the Bulgarian terms drafted by the EAC be used as a model for the Rumanian armistice. The Department attaches great importance to Soviet views in this matter. In the event that the formulation of the Rumanian terms should take that course, however, the Department has prepared for your convenience the following working draft which may be useful if, as now appears from your 3209,98 further drafting is being conducted at Moscow. This text contains the Department’s suggestions regarding suitable form and content of an armistice document designed to incorporate the April terms, those proposed Soviet additions which still seem applicable, the proposed British amendments and additions to which the Department has agreed, and clauses based on the Bulgarian draft armistice which are applicable.
Begin draft terms: The Rumanian Government (hereafter referred to as “Rumania”) and the Governments of the U.S.S.R., the U.K., and the U.S.A. (hereafter referred to as “the three Allies”) agree to the following articles:
- 1.
- All hostilities on the part of Rumanian armed forces against the United Nations shall cease.
- 2.
- Rumania shall sever all relations with every state at war with any of the United Nations.
- 3.
- Rumania shall engage in the common struggle against the Germans, in collaboration with the Red Army, with a view to ejecting German forces from Rumanian territory and restoring Rumania’s independence and sovereignty.
- 4.
- Rumania shall disarm and intern all enemy nationals and shall place under control all enemy property.
- 5.
- A zone shall be allocated to Rumania for its seat of government. This zone wall not be occupied by Allied troops, which shall, however, have the right of passage through it. The location and extent of the zone shall be determined by the three Allies.
- 6.
- The commanders of Soviet or other Allied military forces in Rumania shall have the right to move their forces and supplies freely across Rumanian territory in all directions as the military situation, in their judgment, requires.
- 7.
- Rumania shall carry out such measures of demobilization and disarmament as the three Allies may require.
- 8.
- Rumania shall release all United Nations’ prisoners of war and internees.
- 9.
- Rumania shall restore all United Nations property and shall make reparation for war damage inflicted on any of the United Nations. The amount of reparations will be determined at a later date.
- 10.
- Rumania shall not dispose of any of her assets without the consent of the three Allies.
- 11.
- Rumania shall comply with Allied requirements for the use and control of transport including Danubian navigation and transport facilities.
- 12.
- Rumania shall cooperate in the apprehension and trial of persons accused of war crimes.
- 13.
- Rumania shall release, as the three Allies may specify, persons detained for political reasons or as a result of discriminatory legislation. Such legislation shall be repealed.
- 14.
- Rumania shall make such contribution towards general relief and rehabilitation as may be required of her by the United Nations.
- 15.
- Rumania shall furnish such supplies as the three Allies may require for the use of their forces or missions in Rumania or for the prosecution of the war.
- 16.
- Rumania shall consent to the appointment of an Allied Control Commission.
- 17.
- Rumania may have, if it so desires, for the purpose of contact with the Soviet Union, in addition to a general officer for military questions, a political representative for political questions.
- 18.
- Rumania recognizes the Rumanian-Soviet frontier as established in 1940.
- 19.
- The three Allies do not consider that they are in any way bound by the provisions of the “Vienna Award” of August 1940, and are prepared to conduct operations jointly with Rumania against Germany and against Hungary so long as Hungary remains an ally of Germany, with a view to the restoration to Rumania of Transylvania or the greater part thereof, but the definitive disposition of this territory shall be deferred to the general peace settlement.
- 20.
- Rumania shall comply with any further Allied instructions for giving effect to the armistice, shall give all facilities to such missions as the three Allies may send, and shall meet Allied requirements for the re-establishment of peace and security. End draft terms.
The April terms are covered by Articles 3, 6, 8, 9, 17, 18 and 19. The proposed Soviet additions listed in your 3159 August 26 are included in Articles 5 and 9, except for the points envisaging a 15-day period for German evacuation of Rumania and a “reduction” of the indemnity, which do not now appear to be applicable. The British proposals repeated to you in Department’s 2073, August 29, are covered by Articles 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 16, 17 and 20.
Articles 1, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 are based on similar clauses in the Bulgarian draft armistice terms sent to you in the Department’s 2083 August 30. As indicated in that telegram the Department prefers the wording of Article 20 in above draft text to the wording of similar clause proposed by the British. The Department believes that the general requirement that Rumania should comply with future [Page 205] Allied instructions should be specifically connected with the execution of the armistice.
In the event that the Moscow discussions proceed on the basis of a shorter armistice document including merely the April terms plus some or all of the specific additions proposed since August 23 by the Soviet and British Governments (reurtel 3209, August 29), you are authorized to agree to such an armistice provided it meets the Department’s position as set forth in its telegrams 2043 (August 26), 2073 (August 29), and the last sentence of 2083 (August 30).
For your own confidential information with regard to article 19, the Department agreed to its provisions as a matter of urgency when the Soviet Government proposed Rumanian armistice terms last April, as the withdrawal of Rumania from the war was considered of great importance from the military point of view. In view of Rumania’s long delay in taking action, the Soviet Government may now be less anxious to make such definite territorial commitments to Rumania. You will wish to have in mind in such an eventuality the Department’s preference as set forth in its 2073 of August 29.
Sent to Moscow, repeated to London.99