17th October 1941, midday
Antonescu’s rôle—Necessary reforms in Rumania—Elimination of the Jew.
Apart from the Duce, amongst our allies Antonescu is the man who makes the strongest impression. He’s a man on a big scale, who never lets anything throw him out of his stride, and he’s incorruptible, what’s more—a man such as Rumania has never had before.
To bring decency into civil life, the first condition is to have an integral State: an incorruptible army, a police and administration reduced to a minimum.
But the first thing, above all, is to get rid of the Jew. Without that, it will be useless to clean the Augean stables.
If Antonescu sets about the job in this manner, he’ll be the head of a thriving country, inwardly healthy and strong. For this purpose he has a good peasantry (Hungary has nothing like it) and natural riches. Moreover, Rumania is a country with a thinly scattered population.