Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

871.00/10–2948: Telegram

The Minister in Romania (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State

secret

Bucharest, October 29, 1948—2 p. m.

1150. My impression after analysis of indictment in current espionage sabotage trial (mytel 1146, October 28)¹ is that aside from anti-western propaganda and effort to terrorize potential local opposition, trial is aimed at further isolating western missions here, discouraging any local contact and realizing consistently pursued Rumanian government policy to cut down Legation staff and disrupt its effectiveness.

As Department is aware, Mme. Pauker² herself and ex-Secretary General Foreign Office Preoteasa³ and Mezincescu⁴ have on various occasions openly signified their opposition to size of our representation here (mytels 665, June 19; 474, April 23; 287, December 12, 1947.⁵ Foreign Office has also put every obstacle in way of maintaining staff by refusal to recognize service attachés or admit replacements, by withholding visas for official personnel for long periods or altogether and by sometimes granting them only after persons had been assigned elsewhere.

Aside from attacks on American officials who have already left Rumania, main weight of present indictment seems to be directed against Lovell, Leverich, Dunham (incidental to Frank [Robert] Shea) and Ferguson.⁶ It would thus seem that effort is directed toward compromising persons who both by position and experience are considered key members in different sections of Legation and whose removal would be calculated to cause the widest damage, namely: (1) service attachés office, (2) political section and (3) USIS office.

Whether Rumanian authorities plan as result of trial to ask for recall of some or all of these persons is a matter of speculation. But whether or not it does so, charges directed against them and spread throughout the press cannot but undermine their local position, intimidate few remaining local sources, preclude normal contact and seriously impair their effectiveness.

In these circumstances, I believe interested [officers of?] Department should consider policy they wish to follow and should determine promptly whether in the worst event they should restrict themselves merely to exposure of falsehoods, misrepresentations and improper purposes of trial or take more concrete action.

In event of requests for recall, I suggest considering as one possible measure whether we could advisedly and properly seek recall of certain Rumanian officials in Washington. It is my view that exposure alone is not enough and that only swift, apt and painful countermeasures can be effective here in contributing to an appreciation by Rumanian Government that improper actions are not without retribution.

If such a decision is taken, persons who might come under consideration are: (1) Preoteasa whose improper activities in way of pressure and intimidation in Rumanian Legation in Washington are known and (2) Lazareanu,⁷ representative of Siguranza⁸ and go between for Mme. Pauker and Rumanian Legation. Preoteasa’s recall would be particularly appropriate if Leverich left since they are of similar rank and position.

I recognize possibilities of further retaliation here but believe this would be less likely if our action were timed so as to follow immediately after theirs. Whatever difficulties we may face, it is my feeling that a policy of passive acceptance can scarcely serve as a guarantee of future protection. Since we have lost four persons through the arbitrary action of the Rumanian government in connection with the Giurgiu affair⁹ and in view of possibility of further losses of personnel I believe we should reassess the situation without delay with a view to deciding whether or not there is any counter action we might appropriately take.

Schoenfeld

1. Not printed. From October 27 to November 2, 1948, twelve Romanian citizens were tried by a Bucharest Military Court for participation in an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the Romanian Government, to set up an espionage system for the United States and the United Kingdom, to arrange for the reception of arms and ammunition from the United States, and to blow up the Romanian Parliament buildings. All of the accused were convicted and sentenced to various terms in prison.
2. Ana Pauker, Romanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and member of the Politburo of the Romanian Workers Party.
3. Grigore Preoteasa subsequently became Minister Counselor of the Romanian Legation in Washington.
4. Eduard Mezincescu, Secretary General of the Romanian Foreign Ministry.
5. None printed.
6. Col. John R. Lovell, Military Attaché at Bucharest; Henry P. Leverich, Counselor of Legation at Bucharest; Donald C. Dunham, Second Secretary at Bucharest; Robert Shea, Attaché at Bucharest; C. Vaughn Ferguson, Jr., Consul and Second Secretary at Bucharest.
7. Alexandra Lazareanu, Romanian Counselor of Legation in Washington.
8. The Romanian Secret Security Police.
9. Regarding the “Giurgiu affair”, see the editorial note, p. 369.