800C.001 Moscicki, Ignacy/46: Telegram
The Minister in Rumania (Gunther) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 2—1:55 a.m.]
370. My 366, October 30, 3 p.m., and previous. I complied with your instructions and the King could not have been nicer about it. He said that he knew that you realized the difficulties which were certainly not less, due to the irritated state of the Germans, since the conclusion of the Franco-British-Turkish pact.65 The King said that he personally would like nothing better than to see ex-President Moscicki at liberty to do [as he] wished but observed that it was his understanding that the latter desired above all to go to Switzerland and added that the Swiss Government alas had not been particularly helpful in representations to the German Government in the matter. He felt that once in Switzerland it would be much easier to deal with the project of his going eventually to the United States and made the candid suggestion that our Red Cross intervene with the German Red Cross to relieve pressure in the way of his getting to Switzerland. I mentioned the possible danger to the ex-President should it become bruited about that he might be going to the United States and he replied that precisely for that reason he thought it would be best to get him first to Switzerland. He referred to the new abode chosen for the ex-President at Craiova so I take it that there is now no doubt but that he will shortly be there, from which town on the main line of the Simplon Orient Express and within an hour from the Danube it would be a much easier matter to slip him over the frontier. It has always been intended that the ex-President should travel direct by [Page 704] motor from Bicaz to Craiova over the mountains thus avoiding Bucharest. Above all agreement is desired that he nor any member of his suite should come to Bucharest. The King concluded by saying that he would do his best in the matter.
In the course of the conversation we both offered the fact that circumstances were again interfering with our hunting season and concluded that chiefs of state should always be chosen from among sportsmen. Your reason [sic] mentioned that our President was a great sportsman, a fine sailor, swimmer and deep sea fisherman. He added that Hitler could hardly be described as a sportsman in any sense of the word.
- Treaty of mutual assistance, signed October 19, 1939; League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cc, p. 167.↩