Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

121.5471/12–848

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Hickerson) to the Under Secretary of State (Lovett)

secret

[Washington,] December 9, 1948.

Subject: Reply to Rumanian Note¹ Requesting Recall of US Legation Counselor and Military Attaché and Proposal to Declare Rumanian Counselor Persona Non Grata

background

The Rumanian Government has requested the recall of the US Military Attaché, Col. Lovell, and the Counselor of Legation, Mr. Leverich, on the pretext of alleged “facts revealed” in a recent trial of Rumanian “plotters, spies and saboteurs” said to have conspired with a number of officers of the US and British Legations. The British have also been asked to recall two of their officers named in the trial.

It will be recalled that last September the Rumanian Government declared four members of our Legation personas non gratae on trumped up charges.

Our Minister to Rumania, in commenting on the groundlessness of the accusations against the Legation officers, has stated his view that the Rumanian note with our reply should be promptly publicized and that prompt reciprocal action against members of the Rumanian Legation here should be taken as the only sort of language which will carry weight with the Rumanian Government. Similarly, the UK Minister in Rumania has recommended to the British Foreign Office reciprocal action against members of the Rumanian Legation in London.

recommendation

It is recommended that

1. The US Minister be instructed by the attached draft telegram² to inform the Rumanian Government of our accession to its request for the withdrawal of our two officers, while rejecting the grounds upon which the request is based.

2. That we inform the Rumanian Legation here by the attached draft note that the presence of the Rumanian Minister-Counselor, a prominent Communist (who is presently on leave) is no longer agreeable to the US Government.³ (There are no Rumanian service attachés in the US affording a basis of reciprocal action in Col. Lovell’s case).

3. That we inform the British Embassy here of our contemplated action and express the hope that the UK will take similar steps.

John D. Hickerson

1. For the text of the Romanian Foreign Ministry note under reference, dated December 7, 1948, see Department of State Bulletin, December 26, 1948, p. 809.
2. The draft under reference, subsequently sent as telegram 669, December 9, to Bucharest, not printed, contained the outline of the note delivered by Minister Schoenfeld to the Romanian Foreign Ministry on December 10 (121.5471/12–848); for the text of the note, see ibid., p. 809.
3. The note under reference here regarding Romanian Minister Counselor Grigore Preoteasa, was sent to the Romanian Legation on December 10. In a second note, also dated December 10, the Romanian Legation was notified that the presence in the United States of Romanian Counselor of Legation Alexandru Lazareanu was also no longer agreeable to the United States Government (701.7111/12–1048).