740.00/655: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
London, March 22,
1939—7 p.m.
[Received March 22—4:40 p.m.]
388. As reported in my 360, March 18, 2 p.m.,59 the British Government
following the démarche of the Rumanian Minister
with his information of an “ultimatum” having been served on Rumania by
Germany, communicated with the Governments of Turkey, Greece,
Yugoslavia, Poland, Russia, France and Rumania to inquire what would be
the position of those Governments in the face of a German attack on
Rumania.60 According to
information given by the Foreign Office replies to these inquiries have
been received and may be summarized as follows:
- “(1) Turkey said that she had received no communication
from Rumania. The reply was otherwise noncommittal, Turkey
stating merely that she would abide by the obligation
imposed on her by the Balkan Pact.61
- (2) Greece would fulfill the obligations of the Balkan
Pact. As regards any attack on the Rumanian frontiers beyond
the limits of the Balkan Pact, Greece would examine the
situation sympathetically with Turkey and Yugoslavia, taking
into account the attitude of the
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British and French Governments. The
Greek Prime Minister remarked to the British Minister that
everything would depend in that situation upon Yugoslavia
as, without the concurrence and cooperation of Yugoslavia,
Greece would not be in a position to bring any effective aid
to Rumania.
- (3) Yugoslavia. The Prince Regent’s reply was to make a
similar inquiry of the British Government. He likewise
expressed surprise that Rumania had not approached him. The
British Minister at Belgrade, Sir Ronald Campbell, thinks
that Yugoslavia would make every effort to remain neutral,
as in a conflict with Germany unless Italy were neutral or
on her side she would be almost completely
immobilized.
- (4) Poland. Beck frankly said that he did not believe the
Rumanian statement was correct. He said that his Government
would examine the situation with the Rumanian Government
before expressing any view on the British Government’s
inquiry. In a conversation yesterday afternoon between Lord
Halifax and the French Foreign Minister now in London, M.
Bonnet said that he had spoken to the Polish Ambassador in
Paris on March 19 and inquired what assistance Poland was
prepared to give to balk a German attack on Rumania. The
Polish Ambassador replied that the Polish-Rumanian treaty
covered aggression by Russia only. He further told M. Bonnet
that he had been authorized by Colonel Beck to inform the
French Government (a) that the Polish
Government attached all importance to the Franco-Polish
alliance but that it was only valid in the case of a German
attack on France; (b) that the most
useful assistance to Rumania would be not to bring in Russia
but to support the present Polish representations at
Budapest and Bucharest undertaken with a view to persuading
Hungary and Rumania not to mobilize against each other on
account of Hungarian occupations of Ruthenia. M. Bonnet
further told Lord Halifax that since he left Paris the final
Polish reply had been received, that he had not seen it but
that he was informed it was unsatisfactory and full of
reservations.
- (5) Russia. M. Litvinoff in his reply proposed the now
much publicized conference and inquired what the British
Government would do in the circumstances. He expressed
surprise that Rumania had not consulted with him.
- (6) The French replied that they were prepared to
collaborate in examination of possibilities of concerted
action and that they felt it extremely important for the
Western powers to take a stand on the line of
Rumania.
- (7) Rumania replied that she wished to avoid provoking
Germany and therefore does not want to join any pact of
mutual assistance. She thinks the Western powers should
declare that they will not allow any further changes of
frontiers in Europe and that they would support any state
that defended itself with all its military forces.
[”]
The Foreign Office now realizes that the story brought by the Rumanian
Minister of a German “ultimatum” to Rumania, which was the immediate
cause of the inquiries to these Governments, cannot be substantiated.
They feel, however, that even though the case had been over-stated by
the Rumanians, the danger of further German
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advance in Eastern Europe is nevertheless existent
and that the Rumanian démarche had at least
served the useful purpose of galvanizing the Western democratic powers
into immediate examination of the new situation and the dangers it
presented. It is perhaps needless to add that Foreign Office officials
do not regard these vague and generalized replies as a serious
contribution toward a solution of the immediate problems.
There has been some confusion among newspaper correspondents between the
British inquiries at the capitals mentioned in this telegram and the
draft declaration sent to France, Russia and Poland and reported in my
370, March 20, 5 p.m.62 The two moves were separate undertakings.
