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 other Konta-Wilson encounter, the longest and final one, began in November 1917 and ended sometime during the early summer of 1918. First privately, in November 1917, then publicly as the head of the American-Hungarian Loyalty League, which was established under the auspices of Wilson's own propaganda agency, the Committee on Public Information, Konta accused the HungarianAmerican Reformed Churches of spying and sabotaging Americanization. Search warrants were issued and carried out but no definitive evidence was found, which led to Konta's removal from government circles once and for all.

2

1 Meanwhile, in order to silence the rather heated debate in Hungarian-American circles, Wilson granted a brief audience to a delegation of Reformed Ministers on 8 July 1918.

2

2 This event, which happened to be Wilson's last direct Hungarian-American contact during the war, may be interpreted in two different ways. It has been argued that this was a clearcut demonstration of the fact that Konta's accusations had been unfounded 2

3 An alternative explanation would be that Wilson, although aware of the intentions and activities of the Hungarian-American Reformed Churches, decided to close his eyes and create a domestic consensus to secure support for his foreign policies. As for such policies, Wilson proved to be a conservative reformer, at least in the Habsburg case. He publicly voiced his dislike of the nature of Habsburg rule in the Monarchy as early as December 1914,

24 but refused to join the dismemberment camp until the summer of 1918. In fact, he even refused to meet separatist politicians from the Habsburg Empire until well after the American declaration of war on 2

1 WWPs 45:135—40; Komjáthy, Kitántorgott: 141—42. 2

2 Szabadság, 9 July 1918. Edmund (Ödön) Vasváry was among them. 2

3 Komjáthy, Kitántorgott 144. 2

4 In an interview with Henry Bruce Brougham of The New York Times Wilson contended: "Austria-Hungary will go to pieces altogether

—ought to go to pieces for the welfare of Europe." (WWs31: 459). 43