Editorial Notes
On June 24, Acting Representative Melbourne delivered to the Rumanian Foreign Ministry a note setting forth the serious concern of the United States Government over the drastic deprivation of civil liberties to which the Rumanian people were being subjected, in particular the arbitrary arrest and detention of hundreds of opposition party and non-party persons. The note called attention to the provision of article 3 of the Peace Treaty with Rumania, whereby Rumania undertook to secure to all persons under its jurisdiction fundamental freedoms. On June 25, a similar note was addressed to the Rumanian Government by the British Political Representative in Rumania. In a note to Acting Representative Melbourne dated July 12, Rumanian Foreign Minister Gheorghe Tatarescu stated that his government could not accept as valid the legal grounds for the intervention of the United States as provided for under the Peace Treaty. Tatarescu stated that his government was unable to take into consideration those observations and recommendations which would constitute acts of interference in its internal policy and could not accept the American note. A similar reply was sent to the British Political Representative at the same time. On August 6, Acting Representative Melbourne delivered a further communication to Foreign Minister Tatarescu setting forth the United States Government’s rejection of the interpretation of the Rumanian Government of the rights of the United States under the Peace Treaty and of the allegation of unwarranted intervention into Rumanian internal affairs. In an earlier reply (July 21) the British Government had also rejected the Rumanian Government’s interpretation of the rights of the Allied Governments under the Peace Treaty and had stated that the United Kingdom Government would oppose Rumanian admission to the United Nations until Rumania was willing to fulfill its treaty obligations. For the texts of Melbourne’s note of June 24, Tatarescu’s reply of July 12, and Melbourne’s further note of August 6, see Department of State Bulletin, July 6, 1947, page 39, August 17, 1947, page 330, and August 17, 1947, page 329, respectively.
At his press conference on July 23, the Secretary of State issued a statement regarding the nomination of Rudolph E. Schoenfekl to be Minister to Rumania. The Secretary’s statement made clear that the nomination did not imply that the United States Government condoned the actions of the Rumanian Government in denying fundamental [Page 493] freedoms to the Rumanian people. For the text of the statement, see Department of State Bulletin, August 3, 1947, page 229. The Senate confirmed Schoenfeld’s nomination on July 29.
On August 6, the Department of State issued to the press a statement regarding the continuing suppression of civil liberties in Rumania, culminating in the arrest of Juliu Maniu on July 14, and the suppression by the Rumanian Government of the National Peasant Party of which he was the President. The statement paid tribute to Maniu’s attachment to democratic ideals and his struggle for civil liberties. For the text of the statement, see Department of State Bulletin, August 17, 1947, page 329.