Ságvári Ágnes (szerk.): Budapest. The History of a Capital (Budapest, 1975)
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return is morally destructive in its effect, and in addition makes it impossible to sift out the work-shy among those given support. This state of affairs, which involves no small danger to the capital and to Hungarian society as a whole, was not even improved by the advent of spring. .. .From the sum allocated for the relief of distress by the municipality in 1932, an average daily sum of only 7 filters is left for each needy person for the rest of this year. And from these few filters it is certainly impossible to meet the subsistence needs of a single person, even if these are reduced to the minimum. ... A Magyar Szocialista Munkáspárt Párttörténeti Intézetének Archívuma [Archives of the Institute of Party History of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party], Vol. 666., 11193213. XXII Leaflet of the Budapest Party Committee of the Hungarian Party of Communists Summer 1936 Workers! Employees! Comrades! Twenty-two years ago the bourgeoisie began the imperialist world war. The capitalists touched off a universal conflagration in order to plunder further territories by exploitation, through the slaughter of millions of people, and to become more powerful through the subjugation of other peoples. Yet by this war that produced terrible suffering and devastation, they failed to solve the capitalist crisis caused by their ruthless exploitation of resources. On the contrary, this crisis and the differences that exist between them, have deepened. But class contradictions have also become sharper because of the millions of working people who do not want to starve to death in their slavery. As a consequence the bourgeoisie takes refuge in fascism. Fascism, this most vicious enemy of the workers, of all working people, this oppressor of liberties, is feverishly preparing a new massacre, a new war. In order to prevent the further murder of millions of people we must organize an anti-fascist popular front of all the workers. Fighting fascism means fighting war! Fascism is arming at furious speed, the arms manufacturers are pocketing millions in profits, but the wages of the workers, pushed to the limit by the Bedaux system and by capitalist rationalization are hardly enough for a piece of bread. The capitalists, headed by the kings of the iron and textile industry, continue to reduce wages and speed up work, despite the consistently high cost of living. The image of fascism is clearly shown by the capitalists rolling in wealth and their well-paid fascist hirelings on the one hand, and on the other the mass of the workers drudging for starvation wages, the hungry unemployed, the destitute forced into inhuman labour, the thousands of evicted tenants, the hundreds even driven from their temporary accommodation, the peasants burdened with debts and taxes, the bankrupt artisans and shopkeepers. The menace of war keeps increasing; fascism prepares for war! We are against war! For we know that war means immense suffering and terrible devasta-112
