Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume V

740.00119 Control (Rumania)/1–445: Telegram

The American Representative in Rumania (Berry) to the Secretary of State

Bucharest, January 4, 1945—4 p.m.
[Received January 5—9:10 a.m.]

11. On informing me that the French Government desires to exchange full diplomatic representations with Rumania since the two states have never been at war, the Foreign Minister² took the occasion to urge once again a cobelligerent status for his country.

He stated since the armistice³ “Rumania has received only a series of discouragements”; instead of the 12 divisions requested under the armistice the country maintained 14 in the front line fighting Germany and Hungary; troops suffered heavy losses because of lack of equipment; Italy had attained cobelligerent rank⁴ although contributing proportionately less to the Allied effort than Rumania; and finally Bulgaria which had signed the armistice⁵ later than Rumania had an official diplomatic representative in Moscow.

In light of repeated statements by Rumanian leaders concerning cobelligerency including suppressed press statement of the Prime Minister⁶ (see my No. 82, December 30, 9 p.m.⁷) I would be interested to receive an indication of Department’s attitude on the question.

Berry

2. Constantin Visoianu.
3. For text of the Allied Armistice with Rumania, signed at Moscow, September 12, 1944, see Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 490, or 59 Stat. (pt. 2) 1712; for documentation regarding the negotiation of the armistice, see Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. iv, pp. 133 ff.
4. Regarding the recognition of Italy as a cobelligerent in the war against Germany, see the joint statement by President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and Premier Stalin concerning the declaration of war by Italy against Germany, October 13, 1943, Department of State Bulletin, October 16, 1943, p. 254. For documentation regarding the recognition of Italy as a cobelligerent, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. ii, pp. 367–381.
5. For text of Allied Armistice with Bulgaria, signed at Moscow, October 28, 1944, see Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 437, or 58 Stat. (pt. 2) 1498. For documentation regarding the negotiation of the armistice, see Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. iii, pp. 300 ff.
6. Gen. Nicolai Radescu.
7. Not printed; it reported that Prime Minister Radescu, at the request of Soviet authorities, had withheld from publication a statement critical of Soviet activity in Rumania (740.00119 Control (Rumania)/12–3044).