Register of the Comitetul National Roman records
Finding aid prepared by Laura Cosovanu
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 1999
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu
Title: Comitetul National Roman records
Date (inclusive): 1945-1975
Collection Number: 76104
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material: In Romanian and English
Physical Description:
27 manuscript boxes
(11.2 Linear Feet)
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.
Creator:
Comitetul Național Român
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Access
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
Use
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Comitetul National Roman Records, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Romania -- Emigration and immigration
Anti-communist movements -- United States
Romania -- Social conditions
Romania -- Foreign relations -- United States
United States -- Foreign relations -- Romania
Civil rights -- Europe, Eastern
Civil rights -- Romania
Free Europe Committee
National Committee for a Free Europe (U.S.)
ACEN (Organization)
OFFICE FILE
1948-1975
Scope and Contents 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
box 1, folder 1
Accounts of miscellaneous activities of the CNR
1949
box 1, folder 4-5
Bulletins. Issues of Buletin Informativ, nos.
1-24, 1950-1951
box 1, folder 6
By-laws and other founding papers
1949-1950
box 2, folder 2
Between Alexandre Cretzianu, Grigore Niculescu-Buzesti, Naum Ionescu and Nicolae Radescu
1949-1950
box 2, folder 4
Conference proceeding
n.d.
box 2, folder 6
Essays on the 23rd of August events
1954
box 2, folder 7
Interview on agricultural topics with engineer A. Flegon
1956
box 2, folder 8
Letters to the editors of various newspapers
1951-1963
box 2, folder 10
Papers of Sabin Manuila
1957-1962
box 2, folder 16-20
President's file (Constantin Visoianu)
1964-1971
box 3, folder 1
Radio broadcast transcripts
1955-1963
box 4, folder 5
For the Free Europe Committee
1956-1961
box 5, folder 1
For the Free Europe Committee
box 5, folder 8
On miscellaneous topics
1961-1971
CORRESPONDENCE
1945-1975.
General note
See also SUBJECT FILE/ Deportations -Romania; Romanians in foreign countries; Romanian University Institute "Carol I"; CNR
REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent
box 6, folder 10
Council of Europe
1955-1964
box 6, folder 11
Eisenhower, Dwight
1953-1954
box 6, folder 12
Great Britain. Foreign Office
1951
box 6, folder 13
Ileana, Princess of Romania
1961
box 6, folder 14
Iuliu Maniu Foundation
1959
box 6, folder 18
Lithuania. Consulate General (New York)
1957
box 9, folder 6
Mid-European Studies Center
1956
box 9, folder 7-9
National Committee for a Free Europe
1949-1956
box 9, folder 11
Radio Free Europe
1955-1961
box 10, folder 2-3
"Representatives of the Free Nations,"
1950-1952
box 10, folder 4-5
United States. Congress
1957-1971
box 10, folder 6-9
Unites States. Department of State
1949-1971
SUBJECT FILE
1934-1975.
Scope and Contents 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
box 11, folder 1-2
Assembly of Captive European Nations
box 11, folder 3
Carol II, King of Romania
box 11, folder 4
Congress of Romanian Intellectuals, Paris
1959
box 11, folder 5
Deportations - Romania. Includes CNR correspondence regarding deportations in Romania
1952
box 11, folder 9
Pro Bassarabia and Bucovina
box 11, folder 16
Politics and government-
1944-1989
box 11, 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
box 13, 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
box 13, folder 14
United States. Department of State. Includes press releases concerning the CNR
CNR REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD
1951-1972.
Scope and Contents note
Consists mainly of correspondence with Constantin Visoianu, arranged alphabetically by name of country
box 15, folder 4
Australia and New Zealand
1963-1971
PHOTOGRAPHS
1958-1964
Scope and Contents note
30 prints depicting mainly Constantin Visoianu, Romanians in foreign countries, and members of the Hohenzollern family
box 27, folder 1
4 prints depicting Constantin Visoianu, president of the CNR
n.d.
box 27, folder 2
5 prints depicting Constantin Visoianu and others, including members of the Assembly of Captive European Nations
n.d.
box 27, folder 3
6 prints depicting members of the family of Michael, King of Romania
n.d.
box 27, folder 4
3 prints depicting CNR representatives in Buenos Aires
1964
box 27, folder 5
7 prints depicting Romanians in Brazil, (?)
1958
box 27, folder 6
3 prints depicting Romanians in Sweden
1959
box 27, 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
