Department of Defense Files: Telegram
The Chief of the United States Military Representation on the Allied Control Commission for Rumania (Schuyler) to the War Department
M–1458. The current position of the Groza government is anomalous and without precedent in recent Rumanian political history. On one hand the refusal of Groza to retender his mandate on request of the King is contrary to the provisions of the Rumanian Constitution. His act deprives the government of all legality and amounts to a political usurpation of power. Thus from the constitutional point of view the King would be justified in proclaiming to the people the illegality of the government, advising the highest judicial officer of the government’s usurpation of power and as head of the Army taking whatever steps were necessary to enforce a constitutional governmental change.
[Page 580]On the other hand it appears that the King proposes none of these things. In lieu thereof he has requested the joint, intervention of the United States, Great Britain and Russia under the terms of the Yalta Declaration. As conceived by the King and his advisors the existence of the Yalta Declaration together with the presence of the Allied Control Commission in Rumania affords another solution of the problems presented by the refusal of Groza to resign. Meanwhile the King will consider the Groza government as a de facto government to whose actions he will lend whatever royal assent is necessary to carry on the ordinary business of the Government. Except for routine activity considered necessary to maintain the government processes the King will disassociate himself from all activities of the Government.
The foregoing account of the contemplated procedure of the King was obtained at a conference last night with Savel Radulescu one of his principal advisors. The conference was held largely at my suggestion in order to secure some clarification of the King’s position. I enquired particularly whether the King intended to affirm his position vis-à-vis the Government in any public proclamation or formal document. I also enquired whether the King would disassociate himself completely from all activities of the Groza government so long as it remained in power. The answers to both of these enquiries are provided by the statement of the King’s intentions given above. Radulescu stated that the King intended originally to proclaim the illegality of the Government in a public declaration to the people. He was dissuaded from this course by doubt of the extent to which he could expect British backing and support. There are observable differences between the stand taken by the British representative and the position of the United States Government as conveyed by the United States representative to the King. These differences have led the King’s advisors to suggest the present course.
I think the King will strive to keep his contacts with the Government to a minimum. He has already proposed to cancel the commemorative celebration scheduled for 23rd August. He intends however to attend a ceremonial luncheon given by the Russians in Bucharest today. Groza will be present and it is inescapable that both the King and Groza will attend in an official capacity. This is unfortunate but the King believes that he has been irremediably committed. Thus while the King accepted the luncheon before the governmental crisis developed he was asked at his meeting with Gen Susaikov yesterday whether he still proposed to attend. General Susaikov stated that the King’s absence would be considered as evidence of hostile intent and the King replied that he would be present. It is understood that certain Rumanian generals will be decorated in proceedings held [Page 581] immediately prior to the luncheon. At such ceremonies the King would ordinarily be present and that is cited as an additional reason for the King’s attendance. The King and his advisors hope that he will be saved any embarrassment resulting from any attempt to compromise his position at the ceremonies by speeches, toasts or similar actions. I understand from Radulescu that this point of view of the King will be expressed to the Russians with the suggestion that any such incident would require a forthright statement by the King of his position however embarrassing such statement might prove for all concerned.45
The chief British Military Representative delivered a communication to Gen Susaikov last night supporting my request for a conference of the Allied Control Commission not later than 1300 today. No reply has so far been received to either communication. It is important that the general meeting of the Allied Control Commission scheduled for yesterday was cancelled by Gen Susaikov on the ground of illness. He attended a conference at the palace yesterday notwithstanding.
- In his message M–1462, August 22, 1945, to the War Department, General Schuyler reported that at the ceremonial luncheon on August 21, the King found himself seated between General Susaikov and Groza, and throughout the luncheon toasts were drunk to Stalin, the Red Army, the Rumanian Army, and so forth, but not to the King, an omission almost unprecedented in Rumanian society (Department of Defense Files).↩