Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1984 (12. évfolyam, 39-42. szám)
1984 / 42. szám
this country’s immigrant ethnic groups. Scholars here were the world’s experts on the consequences which follow international migration: alienation, acculturation, and assimilation ..They stressed uprootedness, not ‘roots’. “According to this tradition, the migrants torn suddenly from Old World surroundings, had been able to bring with them only a few flimsy peaces of ‘cultural luggage’. “Such shortsightedness overlooked the fact that most of the young male immigrants were sojourners who planned to return to their homeland and that about one-third of them actually did so. “Even now with our increased awareness of the importance of old country backgrounds in the American experience, scholars continue to emphasize cultural connections such as the durability of religious customs.” But in many instances such as in the case of the Hungarian immigrants of the early part of this century, the ties included explicit institutional bonds, social and political links to the Hungarian government, for which one can find ample documentation in the archives of the Hungarian Royal Prime Ministry, which was in charge of matters related to Hungarian citizens living abroad, and which established the American Action as its arm of operation. The documents, e.g., contain recordson subsidies paid by the Hungarian government to several American Hungarian secular and religious papers. The evidence seem to point toward a situation in which “a distinguishing feature of the nationalism of the American Magyars was the belief that they were permanent citizens of the Hungarian nation on a temporary errand abroad.” The author is assist, professor of history at Saint Joseph’s U. (Philadelphia). □ In our Spring/Summer 1984 issue we reported on two Hungary-related articles containing useful historical data and published in philatelist journals (see: HSN no. 39/40, p. 8). In the July 1984 issue of the American Philatelist, again we noted two illustrated articles of similar genre. “Interned Poles of World War II: The Hungarian Experience” (pp. 701- 710) by Thomas J. Gobby, a member of numerous philatelic societies; and “Some Aspects of Postal Censorship in the United States — Hungarian Relations” (pp. 722-728) by István Gazda, a chemical engineer, writer, and international stamp judge. Gobby gives a rather comprehensive account of the Poles who fled to Hungary when Germany and the Soviet Union overran their country in 1939. He quotes the number of internment camps set up in Hungary as 140 or 141 (a list is enclosed), and the number of military internees at the culmination of the campaign as perhaps as many as 50,000 (though estimates go as high as 250,000), with an additional 8,000 civilians who were not compelled to stay in camps. The reader learns about Hungarian effort and success in organizing escape routes for the Poles who wanted to go to France, Great Britain, orthe Middle East. Gazda discusses ARTICLES & PAPERS (Continued) RESEARCH IN PROGRESS Kálmán Rubovszky (Department of Adult Education, Kossuth L.U., Debrecen 4010, Hungary) is researching Hungarian comics. He has published on the topic and would like to establish contact with persons of like interest. □ Anikó Skorka (1111 Arlington Blvd., #W-918, Arlington, VA 22209) using content analysis in a research project aimed at Hungarian pop (rock) music, a topic not explored by others to the best of our knowledge. She is interested to know of persons doing research or having interest in the same area. □ Just Published By University of Notre Dame Press BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST Hungary and the Illusions of Peacemaking, 1945-1947 by Stephen D. Kertesz "... a revealing account of the tragic history of Hungary in World War II and its aftermath. Seen through the eyes of a deeply-involved senior diplomat... it tells a poignant and graphic story of the ordeal in Hungary through the war, the attempted armistice and ensuing German seizure of power, the Soviet occupation, and finally the subsequent years of Soviet domination. Professor Kertesz has given us a thoroughly documented, first-hand report, which adds greatly to our knowledge and understanding. General Andrew J. Goodpaster Institute for Defense Analyses Stephen D. Kertesz, an international lawyer and diplomat who rose to the highest rank in the Hungarian Foreign Service, is Professor Emeritus of Government and International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST: 302 pages, photographs, $20.00 University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-0774 censorship in four chronological periods: 1914-1918, 1918- 1924, 1939-1945, and 1945-1950. □ Dezsenyi-Gueullette, Ágota. “Utilization and Assimilation in Hungary of Advanced Technology Imported from the West.” Soviet Studies 35 (Spring 1983): 196-207. Hungarian research and development is not sufficiently sophisticated to enable the country to forego imported science and technology. “Furthermore, it is organized inadequately to support the technology that is imported. This has the effect of hindering assimilation of imported technology. The sharp division between fundamental research by research institutes and its practical application causes firms to import technology rather than develop their own research capacity . . .The personnel of the various national scientific research centers have little interest in the practical use made of their intellectual work. Individual scientists are more interested in advancing their academic careers than in the practical application of scientific ideas. The degree of‘candidate’ provides 500 additional prints per month and that of ‘doctor’ 1,000. Since these degrees are given for publications rather than for practical invention, it is not surprising that only six out of 1,000 scientists go so far as to take out a patent.” To assist efficiency, the criteria governing choice between different technologies and methods has to be analyzed at each stage of the production process. “Western enterprises, forexample, have little knowledgeof the ultimate fate of technology exported to the East, once production is underway.” □ Khatena, Joe and Tamás Zetényi, “Production of Non- Sound Images Given Sound Stimuli in a Cross-cultural Setting.” Perceptions and Motor Skills 56 (April 1983): 505-6. This is a study of creative strength required to break away from sound sets to produce non-sound images. 208 American and 208 Hungarian college adults were administered Sounds and Images, Form 2A. Analysis of their responses showed that both groups produced significantly fewer non-sound than sound images and Americans produced significantly more non-sound images than the Hungarians. These differences were attributed to strong cultural determinants and suggested further research on creativity and imagery in (Continued on Page 5) 4 NO. 42. WINTER 1964-1985, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEW5LETTER
