Office of the Historian

740.00119 Council/9–1145: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at London3

Washington, September 11, 1945—8 p.m.

7836. Secdel 27. AmRep, Rumania has received signed statement from Titel Petrescu, Social Democratic Party leader (Bucharest 647, Sep 64) presented simultaneously to BritMis and King advising of Govt censorship prohibition to publish declaration (Bucharest 596, Aug 245) adopted by Political Bureau of his party (Bucharest 592, Aug 24). Petrescu took this action as a challenge to Groza govt’s communiqué (Bucharest 639, Sep 44) published as “unanimous” conclusion by Council of Ministers that the Groza govt enjoys the confidence of the masses and should remain in power despite the intrigues of anti-democratic forces.

With more than a hundred of his party members arrested and receiving open threats against his life (Bucharest 645, Sep. 5), Petrescu backed by great majority of party, which holds key place in current crisis, is adhering firmly to declared position. This affirms necessity of adopting Govt formula acceptable to US and Brit so as to secure, in accord with Potsdam agreement, restoration of diplomatic relations and conclusion of peace treaties. Declared position also expresses conviction that Rumanian Govt should call upon three great powers to find solution.

Petrescu authorized for publication abroad text of party declaration [Page 617] (which is being telegraphed separately)6 and presumably would welcome publicity not only of it but also of circumstances surrounding its issuance and particularly of refusal by Govt to allow its publication in Rumania. However, we are not giving this information to the press until authorized by you. OWI broadcast has used text of party declaration and is anxious to use additional material with your approval.7

Acheson

[A memorandum of September 11, 1945, from the British Embassy to the Department of State dealt with the question of the economic agreements concluded between the Soviet Union on the one hand and Rumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary on the other; for text of this memorandum, see volume II, page 123.]

  1. Repeated to Bucharest as telegram 489.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Not printed: it transmitted the text of the Social Democratic Party declaration which read as follows: “The Social Democratic Party declares that it cannot approve any government formula which does not have the agreement of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The Social Democratic Party considers it necessary to adopt a government formula which would have also the agreement of the United States and Great Britain, so as to be able to secure, in accordance with the decisions taken at Potsdam, the reestablishing of diplomatic relations with the United States of America and at the same time to obtain the signature of peace treaties and Rumania’s admittance among the United Nations. The Social Democratic Party is of the opinion that the government should call upon the three great powers to find a solution of a nature to satisfy the points of view expressed above.” (871.00/8–2445) Bucharest’s telegram 596 was retransmitted by the Department of State to the Secretary of State in telegram 7837, (Secdel 28), September 11, to London.↩
  4. Not printed.↩
  5. See footnote 5, p. 616.↩
  6. A memorandum by Samuel Reber, of the Division of Southern European Affairs, dated September 17, 1945. states that teletype conversations with the American delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers in London had taken place during the preceding weekend, and it was decided that there was no need to issue the Petrescu statement (871.00/9–1745).↩