Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1996. [Vol. 3.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 23)

STUDIES - Tibor Giant: The Role of Calvinism in President Wilsotis Relationship to Hungary during World War 1

The evaluation of this statement takes our discussion into the realm of the other misconception regarding Wilson's attitudes towards Hungary: his supposed anti-Hungarianism. This myth has sprung from no less than three different sources. First, from the disillusionment of the then contemporary political elite of Hungary with Wilson's withdrawal of Point Ten of the Fourteen Points. Second, from the Rev. László Harsányi, a New York Reformed Minister, who during his 1920 visit to Hungary began to spread the story that Wilson had actually gotten fed up with the Hungarians during the early 1900s when he served as the notary of New Brunswick and witnessed the rather shocking debates of the representatives of Hungarian-American Reformed Churches. Third, from Wilson's condemnatory statement regarding the Hungarian-Americans, which has been cited earlier. The first of these 'sources' is based upon a misunderstanding of Wilson's East Central European diplomacy or, rather, the Hungarians' unwillingness to accept his decision regarding the cancellation of Point Ten. The second 'source', Harsányi's striking claim, has been refuted by the late Aladár Komjáthy, the host of our workshop, who demonstrated that the New York Minister was interpreting rather freely Wilson's motivations and career.

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1 Wilson's view of the Hungarian-Americans, commonly known as the 'hunkies', is by far the most interesting element of this puzzle not only because it was used against him in 1912 but also because it sheds more light upon his overall attitudes towards Hungary. Interestingly, Wilson's dislike of the 'hunkies' or, rather, of the troublesome elements among them, did not go hand in hand with a general dislike of Hungary. To the contrary, through vhis father he actually picked up the Republican-Protestant image of Hungary, which was cleverly created by Kossuth during his successful 1851—52 visit to the New World. Wilson wrote in The State: 1

1 Komjáthy Aladár, A kitántorgott egyház. (Budapest, 1984): 171—72. (Hereafter: Komjáthy, Kitántorgott). 39