Paris Peace Conf. 185.3123/13
The Minister in Switzerland (
Stovall
) to Colonel E. M.
House
Berne
, December
7, 1918.
My Dear Colonel House: At the request of the
Roumanian Minister in Berne, and his associates, I desire to enclose you
a copy of an “Aide-Memoire” which he left with me and which bears on the
proclamation of Union made by Transylvania and other States with
Roumania proper.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]17
The Roumanian Legation in
Switzerland to the American
Legation
Aide-Memoire
1. Seven hundred delegates from all the Roumanian provinces of
Transylvania and Hungary, representing all social classes, all
occupations,
[Page 396]
all religious
confessions and all political opinions (among them appeared 40
Socialists), met December 1 at Alba Julia, the old capital of the
principality of Transylvania and proclaimed unanimously, amid
indescribable enthusiasm, the definitive and unconditional union of
these provinces with Roumania.
One hundred thousand inhabitants, from all parts of the country,
gathered around the place of meeting, awaited the result of the
deliberations. When the result was made known to the throng it was
received with delirious joy. The Roumanian people knew such
happiness as never before.
2. The conditions of the armistice arranged between the Magyar
authorities and the high command of the Allied Army of the East
should be modified as follows:
- (a)
- A new arrangement ought to be made between the Roumanian
Government and the Allies, who are henceforth its
allies.
- (b)
- The old armistice concluded at Belgrade, signed by a
Government foreign to Roumania (the Magyar Government)
divides the Roumanian people into two parts, which causes
difficulties and considerable confusion.
- (c)
- The Magyar officials, especially the Magyar police, should
be disbanded and the authority transferred to the Roumanian
Government, which undertakes and guarantees the preservation
of order.
- The presence of the Magyar officials, hostile to the
native element (the Roumanians) and grieved at seeing
themselves deprived of these provinces, daily provokes
regrettable incidents whose consequences cannot be
foreseen.
3. Two great dangers are to be guarded against:
- (a)
- Famine, productive of rash actions, and the lack of
articles of prime necessity, such as textiles, thread,
cotton, leather, etc.
- (b)
- The Bolshevist menace, which is encouraged even by the
Magyar Government. Especially we call attention to the
presence at Budapest of the friend and co-worker of Lenin,
the famous Bulgarian anarchist, Dr. Rakovsky, who is in most
dangerous company for the spread of Bolshevism in Slovakia,
Yugoslavia and particularly Transylvania.
We have on this subject proof of the complicity of the Karolyi
Government which wishes to provoke trouble in these regions with the
sole purpose of maintaining its hold upon these provinces which are
escaping from its control.
