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of Interior and Justice, of all the machinery of government,
down to the mayoralty of the smallest village, the militia,
the urban police and the courts.
The pattern of the seizure of power in Rumania is
much the same, but with significant differences. The
Antonescu regime was overthrown by the coup d'etat of
August 23, 1944. *he government which emerged was com-
posed of the three traditional parties, the National
Peasants, the National Liberals and the Social Democrats,
and the Communists. The latter had been an illegal organi-
ARCHIVES AND
zation until that time, suffering great persecutions and
RECORDS
repressions. Three cabinets fell within seven months and
s
SERVICE"
with each cabinet crisis the Communists strengthened their
position. on March 6 of this year, at the insistence of
Mr. vyshinski, the Soviet Vice-Commissar for Foreign Affairs,
the present government headed by Petru Groza was installed.
In Moscow Mr. Vyshinski insisted to me that his action did
not constitute interference in the affairs of Rumania but
only in the affairs of the Allied Control Commission.
Nevertheless the government was changed and the Communists,
whose strength, according to the highest estimate I received,
and that from a high official of the present government, is
about ten per cent, occupy the Ministries of Interior and
Justice, and thus control the courts, the police, the gen-
darmerie, the secret police and the election machinery. They
control, in addition, several other cabinet posts, including
that of prime minister, either directly or through representa-
tives of the Plowmen's Front and the Patriotic Union, parties
which they have organized to appeal to the peasants and to the
artisans and professional men. These groups have a working
agreement at the top level with the Socialists, which is
probably the largest party in the coalition, but there is
great friction underneath and the coalition may not survive.
The National Peasant and National Liberal parties,
which participated in the government until March 6 in the
coalition cabinets of General Sanatescu and General Radescu,
are out altogether now and have suddenly become "Fascists"
although for years they were the leading representatives of
parliamentary democracy in Rumania and actively resisted
King Carol's pro-Fascist policy. A great many of their
ward and district leaders have been arrested and the parties
faced the prospect, when I left Rumania, of being outlawed
altogether. Their newspapers have been suppressed, their
clubhouses have been taken over in a great many instances,
and their attempts at political meetings are broken up.
The regrettable and largely spontaneous street rioting
which occurred in Bucharest on November 8 has been blown
up
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"ocrText": "-3-\nof Interior and Justice, of all the machinery of government,\ndown to the mayoralty of the smallest village, the militia,\nthe urban police and the courts.\nThe pattern of the seizure of power in Rumania is\nmuch the same, but with significant differences. The\nAntonescu regime was overthrown by the coup d'etat of\nAugust 23, 1944. *he government which emerged was com-\nposed of the three traditional parties, the National\nPeasants, the National Liberals and the Social Democrats,\nand the Communists. The latter had been an illegal organi-\nARCHIVES AND\nzation until that time, suffering great persecutions and\nRECORDS\nrepressions. Three cabinets fell within seven months and\ns\nSERVICE\"\nwith each cabinet crisis the Communists strengthened their\nposition. on March 6 of this year, at the insistence of\nMr. vyshinski, the Soviet Vice-Commissar for Foreign Affairs,\nthe present government headed by Petru Groza was installed.\nIn Moscow Mr. Vyshinski insisted to me that his action did\nnot constitute interference in the affairs of Rumania but\nonly in the affairs of the Allied Control Commission.\nNevertheless the government was changed and the Communists,\nwhose strength, according to the highest estimate I received,\nand that from a high official of the present government, is\nabout ten per cent, occupy the Ministries of Interior and\nJustice, and thus control the courts, the police, the gen-\ndarmerie, the secret police and the election machinery. They\ncontrol, in addition, several other cabinet posts, including\nthat of prime minister, either directly or through representa-\ntives of the Plowmen's Front and the Patriotic Union, parties\nwhich they have organized to appeal to the peasants and to the\nartisans and professional men. These groups have a working\nagreement at the top level with the Socialists, which is\nprobably the largest party in the coalition, but there is\ngreat friction underneath and the coalition may not survive.\nThe National Peasant and National Liberal parties,\nwhich participated in the government until March 6 in the\ncoalition cabinets of General Sanatescu and General Radescu,\nare out altogether now and have suddenly become \"Fascists\"\nalthough for years they were the leading representatives of\nparliamentary democracy in Rumania and actively resisted\nKing Carol's pro-Fascist policy. A great many of their\nward and district leaders have been arrested and the parties\nfaced the prospect, when I left Rumania, of being outlawed\naltogether. Their newspapers have been suppressed, their\nclubhouses have been taken over in a great many instances,\nand their attempts at political meetings are broken up.\nThe regrettable and largely spontaneous street rioting\nwhich occurred in Bucharest on November 8 has been blown\nup"
}