Register of the Comitetul National Roman Records, 1945-1975
Processed by Laura Cosovanu; machine-readable finding aid created by
Xiuzhi Zhou
Hoover Institution Archives
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305-6010
Phone: (650) 723-3563
Fax: (650) 725-3445
Email: archives@hoover.stanford.edu
© 1999
Hoover Institution Archives. All rights reserved.
Register of the Comitetul National Roman Records, 1945-1975
Hoover Institution Archives
Stanford University
Stanford, California
Contact Information
- Hoover Institution Archives
- Stanford University
- Stanford, California 94305-6010
- Phone: (650) 723-3563
- Fax: (650) 725-3445
- Email: archives@hoover.stanford.edu
- Processed by:
- Laura Cosovanu
- Date Completed:
- 1998
- Encoded by:
- Xiuzhi Zhou
© 1999 Hoover Institution Archives. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Comitetul National Roman Records,
Date (inclusive): 1945-1975
Collection number: 76104
Creator:
Comitetul National Roman
Collection Size:
27 manuscript boxes
(11.2 linear feet)
Repository:
Hoover Institution Archives
Stanford, California 94305-6010
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.
Administrative Information
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 National Roman Records, [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
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 1950. 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.
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.
Scope and Content Note
The records of the Comitetul National Roman cover mainly the years 1949-1975, 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 1975. 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.
Series Description
Boxes 1-5
OFFICE FILE, 1948-1975.
Scope and Content Note
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, 1945-1975.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent
Boxes 11-13
SUBJECT FILE, 1934-1975.
Scope and Content Note
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 14-26
CNR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD, 1951-1972.
Scope and Content Note
Consists mainly of correspondence with Constantin Visoianu, arranged alphabetically by
name of country
Box 27
PHOTOGRAPHS, 1958-1964.
Scope and Content Note
30 prints depicting mainly Constantin Visoianu, Romanians in foreign countries, and
members of the Hohenzollern family
Container List
Box 1., Folder 1
Accounts of miscellaneous activities of the CNR, 1949
Folder 4-5
Bulletins. Issues of Buletin Informativ, nos. 1-24, 1950-1951
Folder 6
By-laws and other founding papers, 1949-1950
Folder 2
Between Alexandre Cretzianu, Grigore Niculescu-Buzesti, Naum Ionescu and Nicolae Radescu, 1949-1950
Folder 4
Conference proceeding, n.d.
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, 1951-1963
Folder 10
Papers of Sabin Manuila, 1957-1962
Folder 16-20
President's file (Constantin Visoianu), 1964-1971
Box 3., Folder 1
Radio broadcast transcripts, 1955-1963
Folder 5
For the Free Europe Committee, 1956-1961
Box 5., Folder 1
For the Free Europe Committee
Folder 8
On miscellaneous topics, 1961-1971
CORRESPONDENCE, 1945-1975.
Additional Note
See also SUBJECT FILE/ Deportations -Romania; Romanians in foreign countries; Romanian
University Institute "Carol I"; CNR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD
Folder 10
Council of Europe, 1955-1964
Folder 11
Eisenhower, Dwight, 1953-1954
Folder 12
Great Britain. Foreign Office, 1951
Folder 13
Ileana, Princess of Romania, 1961
Folder 14
Iuliu Maniu Foundation, 1959
Folder 15
Jackson, Henry, 1973-1974
Folder 18
Lithuania. Consulate General (New York), 1957
Folder 6
Mid-European Studies Center, 1956
Folder 7-9
National Committee for a Free Europe, 1949-1956
Folder 11
Radio Free Europe, 1955-1961
Folder 13
Rugina, Anghel, 1961-1969
Folder 2-3
"Representatives of the Free Nations," 1950-1952
Folder 4-5
United States. Congress, 1957-1971
Folder 6-9
Unites States. Department of State, 1949-1971
SUBJECT FILE, 1934-1975.
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., Folder 1-2
Assembly of Captive European Nations
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 9
Pro Bassarabia and Bucovina
Folder 16
Politics and government- 1944-1989
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 11-12
Romanians in foreign countries. Includes CNR correspondence regarding the question of raising the Romanian Legation in the
United States to the rank of Embassy, 1964-1967
Folder 14
United States. Department of State. Includes press releases concerning the CNR
CNR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD, 1951-1972.
Additional Note
Consists mainly of correspondence with Constantin Visoianu
Folder 4
Australia and New Zealand, 1963-1971
Box 22-26.
United Kingdom, 1951-1972
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, 1959
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 12
