Register of the Comitetul National Roman Records, No online items

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1 No online items Processed by Laura Cosovanu; machine-readable finding aid created by Xiuzhi Zhou Hoover Institution Archives Stanford University Stanford, California Phone: (650) Fax: (650) Hoover Institution Archives. All rights reserved

2 Hoover Institution Archives Stanford University Stanford, California Contact Information Hoover Institution Archives Stanford University Stanford, California Phone: (650) Fax: (650) Processed by: Laura Cosovanu Date Completed: 1998 Encoded by: Xiuzhi Zhou 1999 Hoover Institution Archives. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: Comitetul Date (inclusive): Collection number: Creator: Comitetul National Roman Collection Size: 27 manuscript boxes(11.2 linear feet) Repository: Hoover Institution Archives Stanford, California Abstract: Correspondence, memoranda, minutes of meetings, reports, financial records, printed matter, press releases, speeches, and writings, relating to communism in Romania, anti-communist emigre activities, the Assembly of Captive European Nations, the National Committee for a Free Europe, and the Free Europe Committee. Physical Location: Hoover Institution Archives Language: Romanian and English. Access Collection open for research. The Hoover Institution Archives only allows access to copies of audiovisual items. To listen to sound recordings or to view videos or films during your visit, please contact the Archives at least two working days before your arrival. We will then advise you of the accessibility of the material you wish to see or hear. Please note that not all audiovisual material is immediately accessible. Publication Rights For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Archives. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Comitetul [Box no.], Hoover Institution Archives. Access Points Free Europe Committee National Committee for a Free Europe Anti-communist movements --United States Civil rights --Europe, Eastern

3 Civil rights --Romania Communism Romanians in foreign countries Europe, Eastern Romania Romania --Foreign relations --United States Romania --Social conditions United States United States --Foreign relations --Romania ACEN (Organization) Historical Note Comitetul National Roman (Romanian National Committee) was the name given to the post-world War II Romanian democratic government-in-exile. It was organized in Washington by General Nicolae Radescu, the last constitutional premier of Romania, under the patronage of Michael, King of Romania. The CNR was also one of the nine organizations that comprised the Assembly of Captive European Nations. It initially consisted of ten members, representing the three main Romanian democratic parties of the inter-war period: the National Peasant Party, the Liberal Party, and the Independent Socialist Party. Besides General Radescu, the other founding members were: Cornel Bianu (Extraordinary Envoy of Iuliu Maniu to London during World War II), Nicolae Caranfil (former Minister of Aviation), Alexandre Cretzianu (former Romanian Minister in Ankara and initiator of secret negotiations with the Allies in Cairo in 1944), Mihail Farcasanu (President of the Romanian Liberal Youth Organization), Grigore Gafencu (former Foreign Minister), Grigore Niculescu Buzesti (former Foreign Minister), Augustin Popa (former member of the Romanian Parliament), Constantin Visoianu (former Foreign Minister, appointed at Titulescu's recommendation as a member of the General Secretariat of the League of Nations in Geneva, ex-minister to the Hague and Warsaw, ex-foreign policy Counselor of Iuliu Maniu, participant in the secret negotiations with the Allies in Cairo in 1944), Iancu Zissu (member of the Independent Socialist Party). According to its by-laws, "the purpose of the National Romanian Committee is: a) to represent the Romanian nation and defend its interests until the national liberation; b) to lead through every possible means an action to liberate Romania and to reestablish there a democratic form of government; c) to coordinate and support the welfare of all Romanian refugees; d) to direct the cooperation of Romanians abroad to arrive at the fulfillment of their purposes." Mainly because of inner conflicts over the administration of the controversial fund whose custodian Cretzianu was, and because of the alleged subsidizing of Radescu by the former Romanian industrialist Malaxa, four of the members (Radescu, Gafencu, Farcasanu, and Caranfil) resigned in the summer of Constantin Visoianu became the new president of the Committee. Among the new members who occupied the places vacated were: George Assan, Alexandre Bunescu, Dumitru Ciotori, Anton Crihan, Sabin Manuila, Mihai Rautu. Within the committee, each member had specific political functions. Thus, C. Visoianu and G. Gafencu were responsible for relations with the US Department of State, the UN, foreign ambassadors, and the other Eastern European National Committees. A. Popa was responsible for the propaganda and the editing of the CNR publications. M. Farcasanu was responsible for the collaboration with all radio stations broadcasting in Romanian and with the National Committee for Free Europe, as well as for all the questions pertaining to the Romanian Orthodox Church. A. Cretzianu's activity focused on the bi-monthly bulletin for King Michael and the coordination of CNR representatives abroad, while N. Caranfil was responsible for the legal and material assistance to refugees. The representatives of the CNR abroad were Virgil Veniamin (Paris), Vladimir Ionescu, former general consul in Florence (Rome), Aurel Decei, former Press Attaché in Turkey (Istanbul), Radu Cutzarida, former Chargé d'affaires in Argentina and former Director of the Treaties Department in the Foreign Office (Buenos Aires), Grigore Constantinescu, former Minister Counselor in the UK (London), Traian Galin, former General Consul of Romania in Lwow, Hamburg, and Bern (Bonn), Radu Arion, former Chargé d'affaires in Greece (Athens), Gr. Cugler (Lima), M. Giuroiu (Stockholm), Ed. Ressel (Rio de Janeiro), G. Anastasiu (Geneva), Al. Totescu (Lisbon). All members and representatives were appointed by King Michael. In time, the CNR gathered data and wrote reports for both US and international officials about the political, economic, and social conditions in the Popular Republic of Romania, and published its findings in two newsletters (Romania and La Nation Roumaine). The Committee's members also lobbied for sanctions against the Communist authorities' infringements of human rights, participated in the meetings of the Council of Europe and the United Nations within the Assembly of Captive European Nations, organized conferences, gave speeches and interviews, and wrote newspaper articles on Romania

4 Little by little the Committee started to decrease in importance. Its main sponsor, the National Committee for a Free Europe (also the sponsoring organization of the Assembly of Captive European Nations and Radio Free Europe) reduced its funding starting in the middle 1960s, because of the new American "building bridges" policy towards Eastern Europe (see also Brutus Coste's papers in the Hoover Archives). At the beginning of the 1970s, a major scandal, which revealed that the National Committee for a Free Europe was in fact a C.I.A.-sponsored organization (see Box 9/folder 1), led to further cuts in the C.N.R. budget. By 1972, the Committee lacked any external financial support. Besides funding concerns, serious communication problems with the Royal House (see Box 9/folders 4-5) led to the dissolution of the National Committee. The records of the Comitetul National Roman cover mainly the years , from its inception until its dissolution. Of main importance is the correspondence with Michael, King of Romania, through the King's private secretary, General Petre-Lazar (for a more indepth view on Lazar's role in this affair, see Jacques Vergotti's papers in the Hoover Archives, Box 1/folders 8-9). Of special interest are the materials related to the Romanian University Institute ("Royal Foundation Carol I"). The institute was founded in 1949 by the CNR, at the initiative of Michael, King of Romania, and included Monica Lovinescu, Virgil Ierunca and Virgil Veniamin among its members. It started operating on January 1, 1951, aiming to promote Romanian culture through magazines, conferences, lectures, and scholarships. The sponsors were mainly the King, Alexandre Cretzianu, and the CNR. The funds of the last two were nevertheless very disputable. Cretzianu was in fact a custodian named by the last democratic Romanian government for a six million Swiss francs account designated for émigrés affairs, who stopped financing the Foundation around On the other hand, the CNR's funds were provided by the Free Europe Committee, which also ceased its financial help at the beginning of 1970s. Thus, in 1974, the Foundation concluded its works and its archives were moved to the basement of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Paris. Boxes 1-5 OFFICE FILE, Addresses, by-laws, circulars, conference proceedings, essays, memoranda, president's files, proceedings, radio broadcasts, reports, statements, and printed matter, relating to activities of the Comitetul National Roman, arranged alphabetically by physical form Boxes 6-10 CORRESPONDENCE,. Correspondence arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent Boxes SUBJECT FILE, By-laws, correspondence, declarations, lectures, notes, radio broadcast transcripts, reports, statements, studies, clippings and other printed matter, related mainly to the Romanian University Institute "Carol I," arranged alphabetically by subject Boxes CNR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD, Consists mainly of correspondence with Constantin Visoianu, arranged alphabetically by name of country Box 27 PHOTOGRAPHS, prints depicting mainly Constantin Visoianu, Romanians in foreign countries, and members of the Hohenzollern family OFFICE FILE, Box 1., Folder 1 Accounts of miscellaneous activities of the CNR, 1949 Folder 2 Addresses, Folder 3 Book review,

5 OFFICE FILE, Folder 4-5 Bulletins. Issues of Buletin Informativ, nos. 1-24, Folder 6 By-laws and other founding papers, Circulars Box 2., Folder 1 General, Folder 2 Between Alexandre Cretzianu, Grigore Niculescu-Buzesti, Naum Ionescu and Nicolae Radescu, Folder 3 Communiqué, 1955 Folder 4 Conference proceeding, n.d. Folder 5 Declarations, Folder 6 Essays on the 23rd of August events, 1954 Folder 7 Interview on agricultural topics with engineer A. Flegon, 1956 Folder 8 Letters to the editors of various newspapers, Member file Folder 9 Biographies, 1964 Folder 10 Papers of Sabin Manuila, Folder Memoranda, Folder 14 Note, n.d. Folder 15 Pamphlet, 1951 Folder President's file (Constantin Visoianu), Box 3., Folder 1 Radio broadcast transcripts, Reports General Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder Box 4., Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder 5 For the Free Europe Committee, Box 5., Folder 1 For the Free Europe Committee Folder 2-7 On Romania, Folder 8 On miscellaneous topics, Folder 9 Statements, CORRESPONDENCE,. Additional Note See also SUBJECT FILE/ Deportations -Romania; Romanians in foreign countries; Romanian University Institute "Carol I"; CNR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD General Box 6., Folder 1 A-B Folder 2 C-G Folder 3 H-M Folder 4 N-S Folder 5 V-Z Folder 6-7 Unidentified, Folder 8 Agha Khan, Sadruin, 1971 Folder 9 Campbell, John, 1950 Folder 10 Council of Europe, Folder 11 Eisenhower, Dwight, Folder 12 Great Britain. Foreign Office, 1951 Folder 13 Ileana, Princess of Romania, 1961 Folder 14 Iuliu Maniu Foundation, 1959 Folder 15 Jackson, Henry, Folder 16 Johnson, L. B., 1964 Folder 17 Kennedy, John F.,

6 CORRESPONDENCE,. Folder 18 Lithuania. Consulate General (New York), 1957 Folder 19 Meany, George, 1955 Michael, King of Romania Folder Box 7., Folder Box 8., Folder Folder Box 9., Folder Folder Folder 6 Mid-European Studies Center, 1956 Folder 7-9 National Committee for a Free Europe, Folder 10 Nixon, Richard, 1969 Folder 11 Radio Free Europe, Folder 12 Ratiu, Ion, 1960 Folder 13 Rugina, Anghel, Folder 14 Sporea, Constantin, 1957 Folder 15 Truman, Harry, United Nations Box 10., Folder 1 General Assembly, 1950 Folder 2-3 "Representatives of the Free Nations," Folder 4-5 United States. Congress, Folder 6-9 Unites States. Department of State, SUBJECT FILE, Additional Note By-laws, correspondence, declarations, lectures, notes, radio broadcast transcripts, reports, statements, studies, clippings and other printed matter, relating mainly to the Romanian University Institute "Carol I," arranged alphabetically by subject Box 11., Assembly of Captive European Nations Folder 1-2 Folder 3 Carol II, King of Romania Folder 4 Congress of Romanian Intellectuals, Paris, 1959 Folder 5 Deportations - Romania. Includes CNR correspondence regarding deportations in Romania, 1952 Folder 6 Giurascu, Constantin C. Folder 7 Iorga, Nicolae Folder 8 Michael, King of Romania Folder 9 Pro Bassarabia and Bucovina Folder 10 Ratiu, Ion Refugees Folder 11 General Folder 12 Bassarabia Folder 13 Romania Romania Folder 14 Economic conditions Folder 15 Law Folder 16 Politics and government Folder 17 Romanian literature. Includes fragments of writings by an anonymous communist political censor Romanian University Institute "Carol I" General. Correspondence with the CNR and with Michael, King of Romania, and reports Folder Folder Box 12., Folder Folder Folder Folder

7 SUBJECT FILE, Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder Box 13., Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder Folder 10 By-laws Folder Romanians in foreign countries. Includes CNR correspondence regarding the question of raising the Romanian Legation in the United States to the rank of Embassy, Folder 13 Rugina, Anghel Folder 14 United States. Department of State. Includes press releases concerning the CNR Folder Miscellany CNR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD, Additional Note Consists mainly of correspondence with Constantin Visoianu Box 14., General Folder 1-3 Folder 4-8 Argentina, Box 15., Argentina Folder 1-3 Folder 4 Australia and New Zealand, Folder 5-8 Brazil, Box 16., Brazil Folder 1-3 Folder 4-7 France, Box 17., France Folder 1-7 Box 18., Germany, Folder 1-7 Box 19., Greece, Folder 1-5 Box 20., Italy, Folder 1-6 Box 21., Folder 1 Sweden, Folder 2 Switzerland, Folder 3 Turkey, Box United Kingdom, PHOTOGRAPHS, Box 27., Folder 1 4 prints depicting Constantin Visoianu, president of the CNR, n.d. Folder 2 5 prints depicting Constantin Visoianu and others, including members of the Assembly of Captive European Nations, n.d. Folder 3 6 prints depicting members of the family of Michael, King of Romania, n.d. Folder 4 3 prints depicting CNR representatives in Buenos Aires, 1964 Folder 5 7 prints depicting Romanians in Brazil, 1958(?) Folder 6 3 prints depicting Romanians in Sweden,

8 PHOTOGRAPHS, Folder 7 2 prints depicting the funeral of Paul I, King of Greece. Includes prints of Michael, King of Romania; Elena, Queen Mother; Archbishop Makarios, President of Cyprus, 1964 March