740.00119 E.W. 1939/9–1244: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 12—3:10 p.m.]
3443. Under Molotov’s chairmanship, we all met for 5 hours during the past night with the Rumanian delegation. The latter asked for explanations or redrafts of almost every article of the armistice agreement, and also proposed certain additions.
Of all their suggestions for redrafts Molotov accepted only two definitely and agreed to give consideration to one other. The first acceptance related to the amendment of the article requiring Rumania to intern Hungarian and German citizens residing in Rumania. The [Page 232] Rumanians asked that an exception be made in favor of Jewish refugees from Hungary. Molotov said that he saw no objection to this. The second related to the addition of language to the effect that the Control Commission would end its activities on the conclusion of peace with Rumania.
Molotov agreed to consider a redraft of the article dealing with the Vienna Award and Transylvania. The Rumanians claimed that the present proposed wording of this article (I assume that the final draft of the agreement has been made available to the Department by the British Embassy) is not in accord with that which was promised to them in the past and on the basis of which they ceased hostilities. Their objection to the present wording appeared to be that it did not contain a specific undertaking on the part of the Allies to aid them in the liberation of Transylvania. Molotov requested them to try their hand at redraft of the article, and to show it to us at the next meeting, which is to take place at 10 o’clock this evening. I reserved judgment.
We were not able, in view of the late hour, to give consideration to all of the Rumanian requests for additional provisions. The most important of those which still remain for consideration relate to the placing of a time limit on the military occupation and on the operation of the pertinent articles of the armistice agreement, as well as to the specific recognition of Allied or co-belligerency status for Rumania.
The Rumanians protested strongly about the reparations clause, asking that it be made more flexible to meet an eventual inability to pay.
They also sought for a greater recognition of the part of Rumanian administration in carrying out internal police and administrative measures called for by the agreement. Molotov showed no willingness to retract in any way on the reparations question nor to assent to anything which would limit Russian military or police power in Rumania during the military period.
[The armistice agreement with Rumania was signed at Moscow, September 13, at 5 a.m., although dated September 12, and the accompanying protocol was signed at the same time. Texts were released the same day and printed in Department of State Bulletin, September 17, 1944, pages 289–292; printed also as Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 490; 59 Stat. (pt. 2) 1712.]