124.71/8–949

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Romania ( Schoenfeld )1

secret

Sir: As a result of the continued deterioration of political relations between the United States and the Soviet-dominated satellite countries of Eastern and Southeastern Europe, the Department has completed another reappraisal of the staffing patterns and workloads of the U.S. Missions in these areas, similar to that described in the Department’s instruction No. 49, of July 26, 1948.2 Your staff has had imposed upon it increasingly severe restrictions which have limited to a marked degree the possibility of performing fully all of the varied economic, political, cultural and consular functions expected of it under normal conditions. Consequently, the Department has concluded that the national interests of the U.S. Government would be served best by streamlining the staffs and redefining program objectives in Rumania and in other curtain area countries. As a result of the redefinition of these program objectives, the Department has allotted a complement of 1 CM, 6 FSO, 23 FSS, and 34 FSA (advisory).

[Page 20]

Since you bear responsibility for the proper functioning of all sections of the Legation, the decision as to the internal assignment and utilization of the authorized post personnel complement is left to your discretion. The basic policy decisions agreed upon as a result of this reappraisal and the administrative procedures for their implementation are outlined below for your guidance:

A. Organization of the Mission. The Department recognizes that the local conditions existing within each of the satellite countries of Eastern and Southeastern Europe are different and unique to each country. Consequently the demands upon the staffs of U.S. Missions in each country differ and the resulting workload, particularly administrative, varies. Allowing for these differences, it is imperative that each mission establish a basic staffing pattern that will (1) permit a minimum staff to produce a maximum workload and (2) assure a continuity of operations under adverse conditions, particularly in the supervisory capacity. This can be accomplished only by the assignment of qualified personnel. The Department places more emphasis on selective quality of the work to be performed by the allotted personnel and less upon broad quantitative coverage. Every effort is being made by the Department to assign highly qualified personnel to the missions. However, the missions must be prepared to utilize such personnel to the utmost by clearly defining their responsibilities and duties.

There are certain common principles of administration and organization which are applicable to all U.S. Missions even under varying local conditions. In the U.S. Missions in the Communist-dominated area, a compact organization with clearly defined chains of command is essential. With the reduction of the staff at Bucharest, it is believed that the main chain of command responsible to the Minister should be through the Counselor, Deputy Chief of Mission, who will be responsible for the political, economic, USIE, consular and administrative supervision.

[Here follows the remainder of the Instruction covering approximately 10 typewritten pages in the source text. Basic policies regarding reporting activities, personnel requirements, and administrative procedures attendant thereto were set forth. Included was the decision immediately to replace with Americans all local employees occupying positions requiring access to information pertaining to, or affecting, the security of the United States.]

For the Secretary of State:
John E. Peurifoy
3
  1. Parallel instructions were sent the same day to Budapest, Praha, Sofia, and Warsaw. Telegram 155, May 3, to Bucharest, not printed, also sent to Budapest, Praha, Sofia, and Warsaw, anticipated the transmission of this instruction as follows:

    “Following protracted analysis conditions pertaining Communist-dominated countries Eastern Europe, Dept and other Govt Agencies determined interests US best served streamlining staffs these areas and redefining program objectives. These decisions, described detail instrs via airmail later date, contemplate elimination scheduled reporting workloads compliance with which impeded or impossible due local restrictions.” (124.71/5–349)

  2. Not printed.
  3. Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration.