871.00/9–445: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
7566. Since sending Deptel 7550 Sept 3 the reply of the Soviet Govt to this Govt’s suggestion for consultation in respect of Rumania has been received, copy of which was telegraphed you from Moscow.89 We therefore propose to substitute for the draft contained in the tel under reference a note along the following lines to Moscow. An early expression of Brit Govt’s views in respect to proposed note will be appreciated.90
“With reference to Mr. Molotov’s communication in response to the proposal of this Govt that consultation respecting the situation in Rumania should take place among the signatories to the Crimea Declaration on Liberated Europe, this Govt is glad to note that the Soviet Govt expresses its readiness to enter into such consultation.
“The stipulation of the Govt of the USSR that such consultation take place after completion of the work of the coming session of the Council of Foreign Ministers imposes, however, a restriction upon that meeting which is not consistent with the agreement reached at the tripartite conference of Berlin. The Soviet Govt will recall that the Council has been charged with the task of preparing peace treaties to be concluded with ‘recognized democratic Govts in Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary and Rumania.’ Since it is intended that the preparation of a peace treaty with Rumania be discussed at the London meeting, the Govt with which the peace treaty can be concluded should naturally be the subject of discussion as well; the US Govt proposes to raise this question since it has on more than one occasion made known its view that the provisional Govt, as it was constituted under Mr. Groza, was not adequately representative of [Page 607] all important elements of democratic opinion. This view has been made clear to the Sovt Govt not only in recent communications but also at the time when the Groza regime was installed, not through the action of the ACC but at the direct instance of the Soviet Vice Commissar for Foreign Affairs who informed the King that the previous Govt was not acceptable to the USSR.
“In the light of conditions now existing in Rumania it is difficult to perceive how the present crisis can be solved without guidance from the Allied powers. This Govt is confident that the Soviet Govt has similar information in respect of this state of affairs and will upon further consideration agree that the full discussion required by the terms of the Crimea Declaration take place during the Council of Foreign Ministers in London.
“Pending such discussion there remains, however, the problem of stabilizing the situation in Rumania where it is apparent that the King and Mr. Groza are not in a position to take effective constitutional action. It is the opinion of this Govt that there should be the least possible disturbance of the normal functions of Govt and administration and that there should be no prolongation of the deadlock between the King and Mr. Groza.
“Since there appears to be a difference in view between the Allied Govts with respect to the degree of support which Mr. Groza enjoys from the Rumanian people, it is accordingly suggested the three Allied Govts should nevertheless agree to support the King’s constitutional request for his resignation and at the same time recommend an arrangement whereby he could continue the routine business of administration on an interim basis refraining from legislative and administrative action of a fundamental character pending the early formation of a Govt by constitutional processes. This Govt would welcome an early expression of the Soviet Govt’s views in respect to this interim proposal.
“In conclusion a further observation in respect to Mr. Molotov’s communication must be added. He has declared that Gen Susaikov charged that without preliminary consideration of the question in the ACC the US and Brit Reps on that Commission had set out to bring about the resignation of the present Rumanian Govt, thereby violating the established order of the ACC. From the records of the Aug 23 meeting now in the possession of this Govt it appears that both Gen Schuyler and Air Vice Marshal Stevenson have rejected this accusation.91 These Reps took no action until requested by the King to forward to their Govts the communication to which Mr. Molotov refers. It is understood that the Soviet Rep performed a similar function and this Govt has been informed further that Gen Susaikov has been conferring with Rumanian political leaders on the subject of proposed changes in the Groza Govt. It is true that the American and Brit political Reps had previously informed Rumanian authorities and political leaders of the views of their Govts with respect to the Groza regime. These views have been communicated to the Soviet Govt, have been made public, and were naturally transmitted to Rumanian [Page 608] authorities in clarification of the position of these Govts as a result of the tripartite conference in Berlin.”
Sent to London; rptd to Bucharest and Moscow.92
- Reference is to telegram 3149, September 3, 1 p.m., from Moscow, repeated to London as Moscow’s 432, p. 603.↩
- Telegram 1967, September 6, to Moscow, informed Ambassador Harriman that the British Government had agreed to the text of the proposed note and that British Ambassador Clark Kerr had been instructed to associate himself with the American action; Ambassador Harriman was instructed to deliver the note (871.00/9–545).↩
- For transcript of discussion at joint meeting of senior Soviet, British and U.S. Representatives on the Allied Control Commission for Rumania, held August 23, see p. 589.↩
- As telegrams 473 and 1948, respectively.↩