It has been discussed a lot in Romanian historiography why Take Ionescu was not included in the Romanian delegation that participated in the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. Take Ionescu was a political figure extremely well anchored in the allies’ gear and certainly could have contributed supporting the Romanian cause in Paris. During his time in Paris, Take Ionescu made countless connections among French and allied politicians. The responsibility for not including Take Ionescu in the Romanian delegation fell exclusively on the shoulders of Ionel Brătianu. However, the reality behind this episode is more complex, with veiled accusations of treason.
From the memoirs of those close to Ionel Brătianu, it appears that the liberal leader would have wanted Take Ionescu to be part of the government he led since November 29, 1918. And King Ferdinand supported such an approach.
However, Ionel Brătianu was carefully building the team that was going to represent Romania at the Paris Peace Conference.
In November 1919, certain information appeared about Take Ionescu that disturbed Brătianu.
“Take Ionescu had made some commitments to the allies”
Ion Gheorghe Duca details in his memoirs the information that was circulating at that time about Take Ionescu. It seems that Ionescu had made some commitments to the allies in Paris that were not brought to the attention of King Ferdinand or the Romanian government.
“With Take Ionescu, the problem was more complicated. From all points of view, his participation in the Government would have been good. Through his connections in the West, through the atmosphere he had around the Allies, he was in a position to be of real use in the peace negotiations. Indirectly the news had reached us from Paris that there he had made some commitments to the Allies in a transactional sense.
I did not know precisely what those commitments consisted of, nor to whom he had made them. But of course, before collaborating with him and appointing him a delegate to the Peace Conference, this point had to be elucidated, and this all the more since Brătianu was determined to support in Paris the entirety of Romania’s claims, as the allies had recognized through the treaty concluded with us and on the basis of which we had entered into action.
It was inadmissible for us to appear at the Conference with two delegates who each had their own particular policy”, writes Ion Gheorghe Duca.
Interventions in addition to Take Ionescu’s friends
While in Paris, Take Ionescu was contacted by Ionel Brătianu. The liberal leader also contacted Ionescu’s friends in the country, to ask them to convince him to come to Bucharest to hold a discussion in the presence of King Ferdinand.
“Consequently, it was agreed that Brătianu should telegraph to Paris to Take Ionescu, offering him and his colleagues places in the Ministry and participation in the peace delegation, under the precondition of his coming to Bucharest to make us agree, in the presence of the king , on the attitude to follow there.
Anticipating objections or hesitations on the part of Take Ionescu, Brătianu intervened with some of his friends in Bucharest, as far as I remember Mişu Cantacuzino and Ionaş Grădişteanu, and because before leaving Take Ionescu had said that, in his absence, Brătianu should address to Cantacuzino-Paşcanu for whatever their party will see.
Brătianu had telegraphed Mârzescu to immediately and persistently interview Cantacuzino-Paşcanu. Costică Cantacuzino-Paşcanu was at his estate in Dagăta in Roman County. At an impossible time and after homeric adventures, Mârzescu arrived in Dagăta and Cantacuzino-Paşcanu agreed to intervene alongside Take Ionescu in the sense requested by Brătianu”, recalled IG Duca.
Take Ionescu refuses to join the Brătianu government
Take Ionescu, apparently on the advice of Nicolae Titulescu, rejected entering the government, but also a discussion with Brătianu to agree on the strategy they were going to adopt at the Paris Peace Conference.
“The friends in Paris, as we were told later, primarily Titulescu, insisted in the opposite direction besides Take Ionescu. The result was that Take Ionescu was not allowed to enter the Government and refused to come to the country to reach an agreement with Brătianu regarding the Peace Conference.
The refusal to participate in the Government could be justified. It could be conceived that it would not suit Take Ionescu and his friends to enter a ministerial formation in which the Liberal Party had the effective management of public affairs and the undisputed supremacy.
“An elementary and patriotic duty required him to come and discuss with the king and Brătianu”
The liberals did not blame him too much for his refusal to enter the government, but they did not forgive him for refusing to come to the country to discuss with King Ferdinand and Ionel Brătianu the strategy that Romania would support in Paris.
“But I think that Take Ionescu made a big mistake when he refused to come here and discuss with Brătianu the attitude to be taken at the Peace Conference. All the more since the King himself called him to consult with him, it was inadmissible for Take Ionescu not to respond to the call addressed to him.
An elementary and patriotic duty required him, whatever his opinions and grievances, to come here, to talk with the King and Brătianu, to explain to them his point of view and why he had made the commitments he had made and if he could not fall agree with them, to do what his conscience will dictate. I will always consider that, by not proceeding in this way, Take Ionescu did the country a disservice and in any case that he committed one of the biggest mistakes in his public life”, argued IG Duca.
We also recommend that you read:
The hidden conflict between Ionel Brătianu and Take Ionescu. What role did Nicolae Titulescu play in a fight that could affect Romania’s interests
A backstage story with Regina Maria, Nicolae Iorga and Ionel Brătianu. Queen Maria: “I thought I was the Queen of Romania, not Mr. Iorga’s baker”
“Tăchiță gără de aur”, one of Romania’s great orators that Ion C. Brătianu could not stand
Arrested, a Romanian politician described his profession this way: “former and future minister”
Source: www.descopera.ro
