ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: December 8, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
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INFORMATION REPORT
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COUNTRY
IROMICT
DATE OF INFO.
NACU WARM
Rumania
Attitudes and Opinions
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8 December 1954
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
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COWRY Rumania
cogFireurrin
SUBJECT Attitudes and Opinions
DATE OF INFORMATION
PLACE ACQUIRED
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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DATE DISTR. 29 Oct 1954
NO. OF PAGES II
REFERENCES:
Western Broadcasts
1.
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2.
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most Rumanians liked news
broadcasts best. In January 1954 King Michael
had spoken on BBC or RFE. This broadcast aroused great interest
as people were glad to hear of the King's activities. The humor
programs of BBC and Radio Paris were also very popular. There was
an excellent humorous broadcast from Paris by someone
named Professor La Fontaine but, as Paris broadcast only
_CDNELDEKTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
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CONFIDENTIAL
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oh one frequency, the program was hard
to give too many cultural programs for
program on new inventions,
newly-discov7red medininen
in Rumania.
a an egal station in Rumania.
The New Course
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to hear. Radio Paris tended
most people's tastes. A BBC
hnical processes,
Wa
ome uman ans ought
3. There were more
50X1 goods in shops but stocks were quickly sOld out and people did
50X1 not have enough money to buy what they needed the
economic and political situation would continue to be very difficult
and there would be no hope of improvement as long as the Communist
Regime existed.
Foreign Relations
AL
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5.
People in Rumania were very pleased with the Bermuda declaration
of EISENHOWER and CHURCHILL regarding the non-acceptance of the
Soviet suppression of liberties in Satellite countries. On the
other hand, the people tended to become wOrried and discouraged with
the U.S. and Britain as months and years went by without any prospect
of liberation. There was considerable fear of war but there was
a general_belief that even war would be better than an indefinite
continuation of their present slavery. The Rumanian people needed
to be convinced that the situation would improve. They feared that
war might be postponed so longlthe Communists would succeed in
indoctrinating the children, particularly those now below 14 years
of age.
50X1 ?ienad no views on the Berlin and
the changes introduced in the USSR
y NALENKOV as necessary concessions to keep the population under
50X1 control and there Was more politioal free-
dom in the Soviet Union than in Rumania. The standard of living
in Rumania was higher than that of the Soviet Union, as shown by
the fact that women in Rumania were not obliged to do the heavy
work done 14,- women in the USSR.
6.
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rule U.S. was much too weak in its dealings with
Lthe Soviets; the West made too many concessions to the Communists.
When the Communists abused the West on the radio, the
West should reply in equally strong language. Western
treatment of China as an example of the West's weakness. People
in Rumania thought that the Chinese Communist government was as
much a satellite of Moscow as their own government. Rumanians also
knew that Communist China was not in the United Nations but felt
the West had already given it partial recognition by admitting it to
some of the international conferences.
Internal Political Situation
7.
50X1 une news of the Rumanian GovernMent's release,
50X1 of the two sons of the Rumanian petroleum engineer, now'living in
the U.S., was generally interpreted as an
50X1 encouraging admission of weakness by the Rumanian Government anA A
50X1 capitulation to U.S. pressure
CONFIDENTIAL
nprlaccified in Part - Sanitized COPY Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
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CONFIDENTIAL
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the news of the recent release of a consider-
able number of Greeks would be interpreted the same way. The return
to Rumania of a few Jews from Israel was interpreted as proof of
poor character or weak intellect of those Rumanian Jews rather than
as evidence that life in Israel and the West was worse than life in
Rumania.
8.
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officers of the armed forces, the police, and
were groups most favorable to Communism. Although
were well-paid and given many privileges, the
probably numbered less than half of the total.
the security services
members of these groups
convinced Communists
only 15 or 20
of the Party members
were believers in Communism. In the country at
than five per cent were supporters of the present
different motives for joining the Party;
the most common. Doctors and lawyers joined in
large less
regime. People had many
economic pressure was
order to continue their
professions.
In such circumstances it was surprising not
peoples were willing to accept Party membership.
now many?nut now rew
SOVROMTRANSPORT
9.
50:00 SOVROMTRANSPORT was run by unskilled people who were ignorant
of the ordinary commercial principles. Much money was wasted trying
50:00 to operate old, worn-out ships When it would have been more economical
50:00 to replace them with efficient new vessels.
the Management had tried to dictate to ships' masters
50;00 the amount of cargo which could be carried, even though the masters
had warned that it was unsafe to attempt to carry so much; however,
Source thought the company made money because it paid such very low
wages.
10. In spring 1954, the Soviet ship-registration and licensing organiza-
tion in Rumania, Registrul Sovietic, which formerly had made it
difficult to issue papers certifying that a ship was in satisfactory
condition, issued papers for the 55-year-old PLEHANOV. Rumanians
interpreted this to mean that the Soviets were preparing to sell
their interept in SOVROMTRANSPORT.
Emigre Activities
11.
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General,
RADESCU, was in a
leading position among
Rumanian emigres the emigres were not
organized but had possibly made preparations to organize in anti-
communist military units and that the Rumanian people would like
to knOw more about the activities of the exiles.
12. Merchant marine personnel were rarely arrested aboard ship or while
in SOVROMTRANSPORT offices. A much-used way of arresting suspect
sailors was to call them up for refresher training in the military
reserve and then to arrest them after they had told their friends
they were going into service. When released, they were usually
forced to find other work in the interior of the country. There
was a constant turnover in the personnel of the small Rumanian
merchant marine. At least five ship's captains were in prison.
Charges of espionage were placed but few sailors thought their
colleagues who are arrested had actually been engaged in espionage.
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1
13.
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Western Help for Escapees
16.
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Europe, thought that help was
internationally given and that the U.K. had also contributed. Sailors
were afraid to jump ship .in Prange because they feared French Communist
dockers might help to force them back into Communist control.
the U.S. had given money to help escapees from Eastern
Sabotage and Resistance
17:
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no oases of sabotage in recent years within the
merchant marine or in Rumania but heard while riding a train to
BuchareSt in June 1954 a conversation in which references were made
to current partisan activities somewhere in the mountains of Rumania;
doubted these reports as true. The only form .of
sabotage or resistance perhaps now be pripotioed was
the issuance of unworkable or uneconomic Instructions by persons who,
though ostensibly Communists, were actually opposed to the regime.
In this category1 the orders for repair to ships in the
ship yards at Constanta which should have been given to foreign yards
which did the work cheaper and better.
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000400180007-1