740.00119 Control (Rumania)/10–144: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)
2365. ReEmbs 3751, October 1. In its consideration of the question of the American representation in Rumania the Department has been guided by the following basic factors: (1) the relatively greater importance of our political interest in Rumania as compared with our military interest; (2) the need for providing adequate protection for American interests there; (3) the importance of securing information on developments in Rumania reported directly by our own representatives; (4) the expectation that the United States Government would participate in the control of the execution of the armistice to which it is a party.
The proposals regarding American representation which the Department made in its 2319 September 29 were based on these considerations. Partly because Molotov had indicated that his Government did not favor the establishment of Allied missions or other representation in addition to the Control Commission (ReEmbs 3343 September 641), the Department purposely proposed combined political-military American representation on the Control Commission, with emphasis on the civilian side. We desired to make it clear to the Soviet Government [Page 247] that we agreed with their view that our military representatives on the Commission should have a role similar to that of the Soviet representatives on the ACC in Italy, namely the role of observers and liaison officers, and that our chief concern was in securing the presence in Rumania of a civilian representative with at least a small staff. The idea of political representation was of course agreed to last April.
We do not see how the Soviet Government, which repeatedly falls back on the pattern of the establishments in Italy, where it has representation on the CC, on the subcommission for displaced persons, and on the Advisory Council, as well as direct representatives to the Italian Government, could possibly raise serious objection to the size of our delegation which, moreover, we particularly designed for functioning as a small and integrated group.
The proposals made in our 2319 September 29 would have given to the Soviet Government a full view of our expectations concerning American representation in Rumania, independent of the British plans or the Soviet reaction thereto as described in your 3751 October 1. The new Soviet formula probably can be adjusted to meet the Department’s basic aims. In setting forth our position we should like you to make clear that we wish to provide for adequate civilian representation, with access to the Rumanian Government and public, and with some liberty of movement for the protection of American interests. We therefore believe it may now be desirable to set Berry up independently as the American Political Representative. The American delegation formally assigned to the Control Commission would then be composed only of military and naval officers, plus perhaps one civilian adviser who would also be a member of Berry’s staff.
With the foregoing in mind, please inform the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the Department’s desire for modification of Point 6 (G) of the Statutes Governing the Control Commission, as set forth in numbered paragraph 1 of its 2319, and indicate the proposed political and military components of the American representation as given in numbered paragraphs 3 and 4, explaining in particular our interest in the civilian representation. You should then inquire whether in the view of the Soviet Government our political representation should be designated, as a matter of formality, as a component of the American delegation on the Commission, or, in order to perform the functions we have in mind, be set up as a separate and independent establishment.
For your own information, the Department had expected that if its senior political representative were formally assigned to the Commission he would be designated as the head of the American component. [Page 248] In case he should be set up independently, the Department will inquire, in accordance with your recommendation, whether our military authorities may desire to name a general officer to head the American group on the Commission.
Sent to Moscow, repeated to London, AmPolAd (Caserta), and Ankara (for Istanbul).42