Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Central and Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

766.00/4–2850: Telegram

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

confidential
priority

Bucharest, April 28, 1950—2 p. m.

312. Mytel 307, April 27.¹ As current USIS and BIO trial moves to its predetermined close, one conclusion clearly emerges: Recent political trial practically completes cycle begun with Maniu trial of October–November 1947² and carried forward by Pop-Bujoiu trial November 1948³ designed to seal off US and UK from local contact and local influence.

Object of Maniu trial was to destroy Rumanian historical parties (National Peasants and Liberals) and their chief leaders, to discredit them by identifying them with US and British opposition to Kremlin-controlled government, and thus convict them of treason and in process, to remove representatives of those parties from machinery of government and to substitute for them trusted and obedient Kremlin agents. It will be recalled Ana Pauker, Vasile Luca⁴ and Emil Bodnaras⁵ took office following that affair.

Pop-Bujoiu trial carried process a step further by elminating and terrorizing potentially dangerous opposition elements among former industrial and business leaders particularly those with Western ties or affiliations. Method used was largely same as in Maniu trial, namely accusations of conspiracy, espionage and sabotage in service of Anglo-American imperalists. Trial served to intimidate local circles further from contact with Western representatives and action was in some respects more direct as Rumanian Government insisted on expulsion of certain US and UK diplomatic officials.

Present trial, which seeks on similar charges to justify closure of USIS and BIO offices after the event, largely closes out remaining contact between US and UK missions and local Rumanian life and seems calculated to separate them from their native employees. Trial directed as it has been against local employees of USIS and BIO and against local revisions [representatives?] of foreign press (mytel 308, April 28⁶) reinforces already—strong sense of fear among those elements and impedes operation, not to speak of effective work.

US and UK missions are thus to be left, not only reduced in size, but virtually suspended in a vacuum and not to be permitted to see, hear, or discuss what goes on in this country. With present trial cycle is practically complete.⁷

Schoenfeld

1. Not printed. In April 1950, Nora Samuelli, a Romanian employee of the United States Information Service in Bucharest, Liviu Popescu-Nasta, the Romanian correspondent for the New York Times, and three Romanian employees of the British Information Office in Bucharest, were tried and convicted by a Romanian military court of charges of having conducted espionage for the American and British missions in Romania. The five defendants were sentenced to various periods of imprisonment ranging from 15 years to life. Legation reports to the Department of State on the course of the trial, including the telegram under reference here, are included in file 766.00.
2. In November 1947, Juliu Maniu and other leaders of the Romanian National Peasant Party were convicted by a Bucharest military court of conspiring with American and British agents to overthrow the Communist regime in Romania. Maniu was sentenced to life imprisonment. For documentation on the attitude of the United States toward the arrest and trial of Maniu and the National Peasant Party leadership, see Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. iv, pp. 471 ff.
3. From October 27 to November 2, 1948, twelve Romanian citizens were tried by a Bucharest military court for participation in an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the Romanian Government and to set up an espionage system for the United States and the United Kingdom. All of the accused were convicted and sentenced to various terms in prison.
4. Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, and member of the Politburo of the Romanian Communist Party.
5. Romanian Minister of War and member of the Politburo of the Romanian Communist Party.
6. Not printed.
7. In a statement issued to the press on May 3, the Department of State denounced the recently concluded Bucharest trial of Romanian employees of the American and British information offices. The statement categorically denied that Nora Samuelli’s functions with the American Legation could in any way be considered espionage or conspiracy. It was also observed that the New York Times local correspondent had only been performing routine newsgathering activities. The statement concluded that the trial had been designed principally to discredit the American and British diplomatic missions in Romania, to intimidate Romanian citizens from employment or contact with the missions, and generally to sever the lines of communications between the peoples of Romania and the free world. For the text of the statement, see Department of State Bulletin, May 15, 1950, p. 755.