26 - The United States Lectures

Summary

The purpose of the two friendship associations with the United States was better mutual knowledge for peaceful cooperation. Getting to know the United States better was made possible by the association libraries—where the public could find American books and magazines—and by the conferences held by the members of the two associations on American history and its literary, scientific, and cultural realities. Our knowledge of contemporary history and realities was advanced by the books we had on offer and by discussions with the members of the American mission to Romania during their visits, and with visiting American citizens at the Association.

ARLUS had the same purpose and function as any association of friendship with a foreign country nowadays, except now they are kept and guided by the State. State management, of course, provides more possibilities than private initiatives, but it also has the flaw of bureaucracy, which private companies, set up with the participation of enthusiastic citizens, don't have. Official relations between states are conducted by the Foreign Ministry, which has cultural attachés in more important legations. Unfortunately, in most cases these positions were handed out as sinecures for the relatives of political bosses. This was true both in the past and today, since political regimes change, but people don’t.

As part of the first cycle of conferences in Sibiu, inaugurated after Christmas, Professor Borza spoke about the activities of some Romanian-American citizens, such as General Pomuţiu during the War of Independence. The second conference was held by the writer of these lines, about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the president of the United States. The large hall in the Sibiu prefecture building was packed for both lectures, especially mine. That was because of the topic, since at that moment President Roosevelt was the supreme symbol of his country. In my discussion of the background to the present moment, I related how President Woodrow Wilson, following the First World War, had worked to create the League of Nations and to have the United States join it. In the presidential election season of 1920, the Democratic candidates for president and vice-president, James M. Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt, respectively, pressed Wilson to change his position on the United States joining the League. They argued that otherwise the Republican Party, which opposed membership, might win the elections.