124.663/6–2050: Telegram
The Chargé in Romania ( Williams ) to the Secretary of State
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464. Deptel 215, June 17. I communicated Department’s statement and delivered aide-mémoire re Hutsinpiller Mme. Toma at two p. m. today.1 She received it angrily and insisted facts were inexact (a) because quantity was not negligible and (b) because Rumanian Government had waited from June 9 to 14 for reply re Hutsinpiller. I reminded her five days were barely enough exchange cables across ocean.
At same time I delivered protest directed by Deptel 214, June 17, re couriers2 and left informal aide-mémoire to make sure Mme. Toma (who misses details in French) understood all my oral statement. This protest made her even more angry and she retorted we would have a reply. She said last part protest sounded as if we wanted strict reciprocity of treatment in which case we might have couriers only once in six weeks. (See Legtel 459, June 173) I replied emphasizing I had said “at whatever intervals.” She then turned in anger from question of reciprocity to charge we were guilty of discrimination against Rumania’s Washington [Legation] because of travel restrictions. I of course said Rumanians alone were restricted in US because Rumanians alone restricted our diplomats. With rising temperature she reverted [Page 1070] to threat of limiting our courier service and with that interview ended. She was attended by Dobroiu4 and I was accompanied by Mason.5
- Regarding the statement, aide-mémoire, and telegram under reference here, see the editorial note, supra. Ana Toma was Secretary General of the Romanian Foreign Ministry.↩
- On June 16–17, the Romanian Foreign Ministry acknowledged to the Legation in Bucharest that the prior practice of automatic visas to American couriers had been discontinued. Romanian officials indicated that courier trips to Bucharest were too frequent and that no visas would be immediately forthcoming. In the telegram under reference here, the Department of State authorized Chargé Williams to informally and strongly protest the Romanian action in seeking to determine the Legation’s courier service by means of visa controls. The telegram authorized Williams to indicate the intention of the United States Government to take into account the Romanian action when acting upon visa applications for Romanian couriers (124.663/6–1750).↩
- Not printed.↩
- Acting Director of the Western Affairs Section of the Romanian Foreign Ministry.↩
- Gordon B. Mason, Assistant Attaché, Legation in Romania.↩