871.00/12–1345: Telegram
The American Representative in Rumania (Berry) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 23—8:27 p.m.]
979. Because of garbled transmission only yesterday did I see the Committee text of London’s No. 12441 of November 28.46
[Page 644]There are some indications that the British Government is in a mood to consider changing its past firm policy on the Rumanian situation. Perhaps that policy is determined by much larger interests than the Brit position in Rumania. If so, the matter is one upon which this Mission has no right to pass judgment. It does, however, feel an obligation to point out that the British Government’s zeal for a solution seems to be warping its view of facts that must be available. For example the discouraging perspective with which the FonOff views the position of the political opposition in Rumania does not conform to facts.
The Liberal Party strength in the country is probably not great but there is a great deal of vigor in its leadership. Mr. Bratianu has often said that when Mr. Vyshinski installed the Groza government that he took from the hands of the Rumanian political leaders the possibility of finding any real solution of the Rumanian crisis. We cannot quarrel with this analysis.
In spite of a constant effort by the Communists to split and weaken the Socialist Party, it is a fact that it has roots in Rumanian victory [history?] and that it has shown considerable gains of popularity in the past year.
Whether the British, or we, like Mr. Maniu’s dilatory and often negative maneuvering, it is a fact that he remains the unquestioned symbol of Rumanian democracy and in a free election his party will certainly win the largest block of votes. Moreover, from my observations I cannot concur with the British that Mr. Maniu is useless in the Rumanian political scene or that he has only “yes men” in his entourage. When I last saw him, on December 6, he appeared vigorous and alert. With his party newspapers suppressed, and without the right to hold public meetings, he has done a first rate job in maintaining party discipline, and this in spite of continued Communist endeavors to entice away some of his lieutenants and divide his strength. He, Mihalache and others around him agree that the fundamental question for Rumania is the continued independence and integrity of the country.
Repeated to London as 116 and to Moscow as 287.
- Not printed; it reported that a British Foreign Office official had commented upon the Rumanian political opposition to the effect that Maniu was principally responsible for the crystalization of the Rumanian opposition (871.00/11–2845).↩