Moscow Embassy Files: 800 Rumania
The People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union (Molotov) to the American Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)30
Dear Mr. Ambassador: In connection with your letters of March 14 in which are set forth proposals of the Government of the United [Page 517] States of America concerning the situation in Rumania and also your letter of March 7, I have the honor to inform you as follows:
- 1.
- The Soviet Government is of the opinion that after the formation in Rumania of the Government of concentration of democratic forces which brought about the establishment of order and tranquility—this having a most important bearing on the security of the rear line communications of the Soviet armies fighting against the Germans—the situation in Rumania does not now require any special measures being taken on the part of the United States, Great Britain or the Soviet Union.
- 2.
- Furthermore it should be pointed out that in the exposition of the basic reasons of your proposals an interpretation of the decisions adopted at the Crimea Conference, as set forth in the Declaration on Liberated Europe, is included which has been broadened and which does not correspond to the facts. This Declaration, in so far as the mutual obligations of the three powers are concerned in relation to the former Axis satellite states in Europe and the measures which should be taken under certain conditions in these states, of course is based upon the presence there of Allied Control Commissions on which are imposed certain obligations in relation to these countries. Notwithstanding, the proposal of the United States Government concerning the organization in Rumania of a tri-partite Commission is directed toward the annulling of the Allied Control Commission and toward the emasculating of the role of the Chairman of the Allied Control Commission.
- 3.
- With respect to your statement that the Allied Control Commission in Rumania has never consulted with the Government of the United States of America on the recent events in that country and that the Soviet Government has not properly informed the American Government concerning these events, this statement does not conform to the facts since these events were repeatedly discussed in Bucharest by A. Y. Vyshinski and Lt. General Susaikov with the American representatives Mr. Berry and General Schuyler as well as with the British representatives, all of whom received the necessary information.
I do not deem it superfluous to cite these instances of discussion and exchange of information between the Allied representatives in Bucharest in connection with events in Rumania which as is well known are completely at variance with the situation in Italy where on no occasions have the Allied representatives on the Allied Control Commission informed the Soviet representative of important measures undertaken by that Control Commission.
[Page 518]In view of the above the Soviet Government cannot agree with the proposals of the American Government as contained in your above mentioned note.
- A paraphrased text of Molotov’s letter was transmitted to the Department in telegram 805, March 17, 1945, midnight, from Moscow, not printed.↩