740.00119 Control (Rumania)/10–644: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
2418. Reurtel 3822 October 6. The Department has from the beginning felt that its requirements wdth respect to political representation in Rumania would be best met were its political representative and staff to be set up independently of the Control Commission. Following the receipt of your 3751 of October 1, we have assumed that this would be possible since, as you suggest, the Soviet Government would clearly desire to have the same arrangement with regard to our political representation as in the case of the British. We agree that the Soviet position set forth to the British would be equally applicable to us. There is no intention to seek any reversal of the Soviet position.
The Department would therefore like you to present this matter to the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs in order that we may have from the Soviet Government definite approval of the plan for American representation in Rumania. The reply given to the British in [Page 251] this regard cannot be taken as constituting a reply to us. The Department desires that you should have full flexibility as to the form in which this matter is presented, but hopes that it can be done without delay. Arrangements for the American representation cannot go forward effectively here in Washington, particularly as regards the military contingent, until we know definitely what type of organization would have the approval of the Soviet Government.
You should inform the Soviet Government of our wish to have in Rumania, in addition to our military delegation on the Control Commission, political representation for the purpose of ensuring the protection of American interests, with freedom of movement and access to the local authorities and code privileges for reporting direct to this Government. You may state that Berry is being designated as our principal political representative in Rumania and that his staff will include the other officers and clerks mentioned in numbered paragraph 3 of Department’s 2319 September 29. You may also mention that we contemplate an initial military representation on the Control Commission as set forth in numbered paragraph 4 of the same telegram, adding that a general officer may be named to head the delegation.
This latter question is now before the Joint Chiefs for final decision, which may, however, be delayed until the Soviet Government has given a clear indication of its agreement to American representation as set forth above.