by Gheorghe Iancu
excerpts Our researches carried out in Bucharest, Geneva, London and Budapest have led us to the conclusion that the relations between the Romanian governments and the League of Nations were quite close, without any tinge of restraint, or silence, over the recommendations or notifications that came from the part of the League of Nations. They materialized in many meetings between Romania's representative to the League, Nicolae Petrescu-Comnen, other Romanian politicians, chiefly Nicolae Titulescu and I. G. Duca, and Geneva officials, illustrated by the huge amount of documents issued in Bucharest and Geneva. A special place is held by the field trips made in Romania by the heads of the Administrative and Minority Department, the Norwegian diplomat Erik Colban, in 1923, 1924, 1926, and Pablo de Azcarate, in 1930 and 1932, at the invitation of the Romanian governments. From their reports it is evident that during those visits they met with a large number of Romanian officials, and not only in order to be acquainted with the situation: the King, the Queen, Prime-ministers, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Directors and other officials of the Romanian government, political representatives of the minorities, the representatives of different churches in Romania, professors, teachers, peasants, etc. Of course, the questions came each time from the guests. In an open, calm and polite environment, Romanian officials presented documents, responses, justifications for their actions, and the representatives of the minorities expressed their views and dissatisfactions. During their trips in the country they never encountered explosive situations, which could have led to ethnic conflicts. If the reader had a map of Romania before his eyes he could see the itinerary of the visits paid by the representatives of the League, to cities such as Bucureşti, Sinaia, Braşov, Sibiu, Cluj, Miercurea Ciuc, Gheorghieni, Odorhei, Aiud, Turda, Oradea, but also very nice places like Băile Tuşnad and Felix, Red Lake, etc. Their culture, and a good knowledge of foreign languages, was a determining factor in their efforts to become familiar with vast and unknown problems. Certainly a contribution to their success was their preparation in Geneva and the experience acquired in different countries.
by Gheorghe Iancu
by Gheorghe Iancu