740.00119 European War 1939/12–1244: Telegram
The American Representative in Rumania (Berry) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 14—9:15 a.m.]
54. After luncheon Sunday I had an hour’s talk with the King. He was pleased that Vyshinsky had left in a favorable frame of mind and was relieved the government crisis had passed without popular disturbance.
King said when Vyshinsky made his farewell visit he had said that when he came to Rumania a month ago he was dissatisfied with Rumanian efforts to fulfill the terms of the armistice; that during his stay here he had been able to correct many impressions; and now at the time of his departure he was pleased with the Rumanian action in fulfilling the armistice terms.
Vyshinsky said the Soviet Government supported King Michael. It had no desire to see Rumania become a Communistic state, but it did desire a neighbor which was friendly. Finally Vyshinsky said his Government was very satisfied with the new Rumanian Government and a government of technicians would have been “impossible”.
King told me the tone of his interview was on a much more pleasant plane than the first which was accompanied with scowls and thinly-veiled [Page 281] menaces. He said Vyshinsky congratulated him upon his handling of the government crisis and he had high hopes that affairs would now settle down as he understood Vyshinsky had talked to some of the more viperous Communists and had advised them against stirring up trouble.
King was optimistic upon chances of new government’s maintaining order. He said the Prime Minister had shown himself firm and in two instances (those mentioned by Maniu and reported in my 52, December 9, 7 p.m.) he had taken immediate action to rectify a situation that might have grown troublesome. He said local Communists have taken quite a different attitude in the last few days and that he felt that their bluff had been called since they had learned from conversations with Vyshinsky that they could not have the support of the Red Army and since they had seen from the firm action of the Prime Minister that he was ready for a showdown.
Repeated to Moscow.