871.01/4–2445: Telegram
The American Representative in Rumania (Berry) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 24—5:50 p.m.]
301. From several sources recently I have received indirectly indications that a number of Rumanians are forcing [forging?] themselves into a loosely grouped organization for the purpose of resisting present trends in the country.
They appear to feel that Rumania is now being governed by the Communist Party and as a consequence the country’s finances and economics are on the brink of disaster. They think that there is anarchy in the governmental administration throughout the country and chaos in the economic life.
I understand that the men who are thinking along these lines are in many cases the same as those who engineered and carried through the coup of August 23. The plan, I gather, is to stage a second coup with the tacit consent of the King.
It is difficult to believe that I and Mr. Le Rougetel, with whom I have compared notes, have indications of what is in the minds of some of the country’s leading citizens without this same knowledge being available to the Soviet authorities who have working for them a large group of men whose full time is taken in learning and reporting what is being thought and done in Rumania. Of course a group planning and working toward the end indicated, if their plans were suspected by the Government, would be placing themselves directly into the hands of the Communist party which at an appropriate moment could denounce and eliminate them. A group thus branded would be a means for completely discrediting the monarch and for removing from the Rumanian political scene many people whose thoughts and plans for Rumania closely parallel our own.
Should any person whom I believe to be one of this group approach me and inform me, or even hint to me, of what they are planning, I should take the occasion to tell him that he is inviting disaster.
To bring about a change in the Government by forceful means would certainly be considered by the Soviet authorities as disturbing [Page 540] order behind their lines of communications. Under such circumstances America could hardly do otherwise than support the action that the Soviets might take to eliminate such a condition. Therefore the Rumanians who by passive resistance or active conflict might try to bring about a change in the Government would only succeed by their actions in eliminating from the Rumanian political scene a group that it is essential to preserve for the purpose of registering its convictions in the ballot box and for supporting locally the action that the 3 Great Powers in consultation may decide to take toward Rumania.
I feel that this is the only course that is open to me, as to give a willing ear to such proposals would make me a conspirator and to listen silently without protest would make me an accomplice. If the Department holds a different view, please instruct me urgently.76
- Telegram 217, April 28, 7 p.m., to Bucharest, replied as follows: “The Department agrees entirely that you should take the attitude described in your 301 April 24, in case the subject is raised in your presence by Rumanians” (871.01/4–2445)↩