871.001 Mihai/10–2747: Telegram
The Chargé in Greece (Keeley) to the Secretary of State
1851. King asked me to come to see him today and expressed his anxiety over potentialities of fate in store for his sister and King Mihael of Rumania. His Majesty referred to disquieting message received from his sister last month via Congressman Lodge and said that more alarming information has just come to him via Minister Interior Mavromichalis who saw Queen Mother last week in Switzerland [Page 501] where Rumanian Government permitted her to go after refusing permission for her to visit Greece, although such permission had previously been given for two trips: one for funeral of George, Second, in April and one for marriage of Princess Catharine in May. Queen Helen told Mavromichalis their situation going from bad to worse (circinfo airgram September 23, 2 p.m.1) with denouement perhaps to be expected at any moment. They have no inkling of what may happen to them but believe anything possible such as their liquidation by poison, their arrest and exile to unknown fate in Siberia, or other worse end.
King Paul says that he cannot at this distance judge how serious royal family situation may be or how long Mihael may feel he can usefully remain. Paul wonders, however, whether if time and occasion permit when denouement finally comes royal family could be given asylum in US Legation. He believes we are only nation likely to be able to save his sister and nephew in event Soviet-dominated Rumanian Government gets tough with them but he is realistic enough to realize that even we might not be able to save them short of war and perhaps not even then if Soviets decide to liquidate them. Paul believes Bulgarian Government’s permission for Bulgarian Queen Mother and infant King to go to Egypt is no reassuring precedent as that was before Soviets began to get tough and was moreover due he thinks to Dimitroff’s2 personal gratitude to late King Boris for his support of Dimitroff during Reichstag fire trial.
His Majesty asked me to bring his anxiety to attention American Government in hope some helpful instructions could be sent to our mission at Bucharest to cover possible eventualities. Any reassuring message that Department can give me for His Majesty would be much appreciated by him and the other relatives here.