Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1984. július-december (38. évfolyam, 27-48. szám)
1984-09-20 / 35. szám
8. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ Thursday, Sep. 20. 1984. FOR THE CONFIDEHCE OF OUR PEOPLE György Aczél's interview with the correspondent of L'Humanite EAST-WEST TRADE Several American, western European and Canadian companies have cancelled the orders they had placed for electronically- controlled telephone exchanges-that they were to deliver to the Soviet Union, the the Budapest trade union daily, Népszava reported. Recently, a Belgian firm was also forced to call off a business deal, under Washington's pressure, for the delivery of a $20 million worth computer-controlled drilling centre and the firm, Pegard Co., said the countermand threatens the firm with bankruptcy. The United States offered to find a new customer, while many experts doubt if the US Department of Commerce, in case of a large-volume cancellation of this type would be able to effect similar indemnification. To show how different existing trade interests are on the two sides of the Atlantic: almost simultaneously with the COCOM announcement of the list of banned commodities, British companies published a list of business deals they would like to conclude with_ socialist countries in computer-engineering fields. Most of the US' allies have become increasingly critical of the bureaucratic practices relating to the issuing of export licences, stressing that the spread of such bureaucratic pratices is tantamount to a ban with regard to the flow of trade. It slows down the normal course of business, and raises legitimate mistrust on the part of the customer-seeing that the seller must have its sales permit sanctioned. Since this past April, there has been a sharp dispute in the United States about the new export controls law, and the two Houses of Congress have not yet agreed on a new law to replace the expired one. There are indications that the Department of Defence is increasingly bringing its influence to bear on this issue vis-a-vis the Department of Commerce, that is considered much more moderate. The competence of the Pentagon has recently been extended to include not only the direct export by American firms of technology to the East, as its supervisory powers have been extended to deliveries directed to western Europe. Sales by several leading American companies have been limited by putting an end to the issue of general export licences, valid for a prolonged period. Henceforward, companies selling high technology must have their business deals approved regularly, or even one-by-one. Accordingly, the assumed security reasons have again gained the upper hand over sober business considerations in the United States' trade policy, Népszava pointed out. "Either England, America and Russia develop a common language of action in the war and afterwards, or God help us all." Maurice Hindus, quoting a western diplomat in Moscow in 1942. • • • Elizabeth Drew wrote in the June 21st, 1982 New Yorker of a White House meeting in which the President lauded the inventor of Rubik's Cube as exemplifying the virtues of American free enterprise! Ernó Rubik, the inventor of the cube, is a Hungarian professor living in socialist Hungary. HSWP Political Committee member and Central Committee Secretary György Aczél recently held a conversation with Bernard Frederick, staff member of the Paris daily L'Humanite Below we carry excerpts from the conversation, based on the Hungarian translation of the interview, carried in the latest issue of the Budapest weekly Magyarország (Hungary). We do not strive for a flashy reputation, nor do we want changes for the sake of change, - we want to confirm the legitimate confidence of the people in socialism, Aczél pointed out. Socialist relationships have not been completed yet, nor made definitive-these always stem from concrete historical conditions. Their development and permanent transformation is a constant process. We must speed up the technological development, improve the organization of production and labour, reduce the consumption of primary materials and energy per unit of product. We must make a more efficient use of human resources, with special regard to intellectual resources, without giving up our social policy of freedom from unemployment. This is a task not only for the leadership, but for every worker. The majority of our reforms are actually directed at making every citizen in this country directly interested in this course. It was after 1956 that the decisive step was taken toward the renewed correct interpretation of the relations between the party and the- state. If we want to sum up this new relationship, we could say that the party strives to set the strategic aims of our society's development, while the turning of these aims into a government policy, and its implementation are tasks for the state to perform. If one follows the news broadcasts of some western propaganda organs, one can easily fall prey to an illusion. They say that there are very many people in Hungary who hold opposition views. The truth is that we see the sum of various phenomena. On the one hand, masses of people take According to the Statistical Yearbook for 1983, now out, Hungary's population numbered 10,678,770 on January 1, 1984- continuing a downward tendency over the past five years.' The ratio of males and females-48.4 and 51.6 pc, respectively- has been unchanged for years. Last year's 127,258 births were fewer than deaths by 21,000. 21.8 pc of the population were under 14 years, 57 pc were in the active earner age bracket, and 21.2 pc older than the minimum pensionable age. Fifty-six per cent of the population lived in towns, including 19.3 pc in Budapest. Every fifth citizen was unmarried, and every 20th divorced. More than half the families had one or two children each, an active part in debates that seek ways to gradually renew society. In these debates initiated and conducted by the party, we hear various views, some of them sharply termed - but we do not list these as "opposition views" - as our great revolutionary poet Attila József wrote, they are angry for us, and not at us. On the other hand, there are naturally certain persons who try to evade our laws, sometimes even defying them-sometimes, perhaps, formulating correct criticisms, while on purpose leaving out of consideration the threats set by imperialism. No credit is given to their views in this country, and their endeavours evoke no broad response at all. As a matter of fact, they themselves are aware of this. I would not like to overrate the role of this country in international political affairs. We are a small country, and it does not do any good even to a major country if it does not see the limitations to its possibilities. The basic principle of our foreign policy is provided by the fact that our socialist national interests are inseparable from the alliance system of which Hungary is a member. Accordingly, when holding talks with . various statesmen, we represent our national interests as a member of this alliance system. In that sphere, we rule out any equivocal attitude or tactical pattern. Trends of East-West relations, and the judgement of these relations, have been and will continue to be a central issue of the international political scene. We are doing our very best to see that it is these relations that lastingly improve and deepen, and not the confrontation, cold-war psychosis or the arms race. and 35.2 pc of couples were childless. Marriages last year numbered 75,969, an increase of 419 from 1982. Annual per capita consumption of meat was 78.2 kilós; fat, 32 kilós; sugar, 36 kilós, and 320 eggs. There were 33,000 physicians and surgeons, and 99,000 hospital beds. Last year 7,600 titles were published in a combined total edition of 99.4 million. The cinema attendance figure was 69 million, 6 million theatre tickets were sold, and there were 2,864,000 TV subscribers. A total of 74,214 dwellings were built, • and 15,449 pulled down. Average electricity consumption continued to rise-to 138 kwh a month, an increase of 8 kwh from 1982. Cars numbered over 1.2 million. HUNGARY - FACTS AND FIGURES
