740.00119 Control (Rumania)/10–144: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 1—7:40 p.m.]
3751. The British Ambassador has received a reply to his note to the Soviet Government reported in my 3642 [3643], September 23, 1 p.m., concerning British representation on the Allied Control Commission for Rumania. It reads in paraphrase as follows:
“In reply to your letter of September 23 concerning British representation in the Allied Control Commission in Rumania I desire to inform you:
- 1.
- In determining the number of British representatives, the requirements concerning the Allied Control Commission for Rumania were based on the experience of the Allied Control Commission for Italy upon which the number of Soviet representatives has until recently not exceeded 5 persons. You doubtless have in mind, in mentioning a Soviet representation of 11 members, the displaced persons subcommission. The latter is a separate question and the discussion of it should be kept separate. There is, in any event, no objection on the part of the Soviet Government to some increase in the number of members of the British representation in the Allied Control Commission for Rumania which must be determined in agreement with the president of that commission.
- 2.
- The Soviet Government has no objection to the appointment of a political representative in Rumania of the British Government, as agreed between the British and Soviet Governments in April. The Soviet Government considers that in this case also the analogy with Italy where the Soviet Government has its own political representative corresponding to the wish expressed in your letter is correct.
- 3.
- The above applies equally to the appointment in Finland of a British political representative.”
In view of the above I am not delivering the message referred to in the Department’s 2319, September 29, 8 p.m., as I assume the Department will wish to reconsider its proposals. It can now be assumed, in view of the Soviet position in reply to the British alternative proposals, that the Soviet Government would not agree to our political representative also serving on the Control Commission. I therefore recommend that unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary we conform to the formula which the Soviets have now agreed to with the British which fulfills the promise made by Molotov in April. In such event, I recommend that the military officer, who would be the American representative on the Control Commission, be of the rank of general officer.