Levéltári Közlemények, 48–49. (1978)

Levéltári Közlemények, 48–49. (1978) - FORRÁSKÖZLÉS - Vida István: Iratok a Nagy Ferenc vezette magyar kormányküldöttség 1946. évi amerikai látogatásának történetéhez / 245–281. o.

272 Vida István certain difficulties of a political nature also contribute to the present desperate situation in Hungary. The most important of these factors is the fact that three million Hungarians today live outside the borders of the Hungarian state. The situation of these minorities is rapidly deteriorating. To mention only two examples, there are today 650,000 Hungarians living in the Czehoslovak Republic. The determination of the Czechoslovak Government to expel 300,000 persons of this minority and to deprive the remainder of all civil and property rights faces the Hungarian Government with a realization that the influx of these deportees would further contribute to the desperate economic situation of the country, and that the maltreatment of the remaining Hungarian minority in Czehoslovakia would further contribute to the rebirth of the chauvinistic attitude which contributed to cause Hungarian participation in the second World War on the German side. In Rumania the situation of the Hungarian minority is better. It must be noted, however, that in spite of the good intentions announced by the Groza Government and in spite of directives from above, the lower provincial authorities appear to be determined to mistreat and pauperize the Hungarian minority entrusted to their care. The Government of Hungary would therefore be extremely grateful if the Western Powers, especially the United States, would exert its political and moral influence to stop immediately the forced migrations, and to assure institutionally the enjoyment of human rights for Hungarian minorities outside the borders of the Hungarian state. The position of the Hungarian Government in this question may be summed up briefly as follows: Hungary is willing to receive its minorities now living in Czechoslovakia provided that these minorities are transferred together with the territories they inhabit. Should this not take place, the Hungarian Government insists on the safeguarding of minority rights for Hungarians living in Czechoslovakia. As for Rumania, the Hungarian Government proposes that a new frontier be drawn in such a manner as to leave an equal number of minorities on either side of the frontier. The aim of the Hungarian Government is to prevent anarchy and chaos such as the factors outlined above are very likely to bring about unless checked in time. The majority party represented in the Hungarian Government placed great emphasis on the preservation of the bourgeois mode of living and of pro-Western middle-class Hungary. In ordes to archive these aims the Hungarian Government would like to enlist the good offices of the United States, which by exerting its political, moral and economic influence, is perhaps alone in a position today to prevent a revolutionary upheaval in the Hungarian state and economy. The Hungarian Government respectfully suggests that economic aid to Hungary could take three forms: (1) The restitution of displaced goods now located in the American zones of occupation in Germany and Austria. These displaced goods consist of the gold reserve of the Hungarian National Bank amounting to $32,000,000,rolling stock of the Hungarian state railroads, and ships belonging to Hungarian steamship companies, (2) An increase in the amount of present UNRRA assistance to Hungary, (3)The granting of a loan through the Export-Import Bank. Should the restitution of displaced goods prove to be impossible for the time being, the Hungarian Government would be grateful if these displaced goods could be made use of as collateral in connection with a loan to be extended to Hungary. If in connection with the proposed Export-Import Bank loan, economic considerations should not warrant the extension of such a loan to Hungary, would the United States Government be influenced by political considerations in this matter? (4) An increase to $20,000,000 of the present $10,000,000 surplus property purchase credit. Part II Mr. Hickerson began his reply by stating that if Hungary today is occupied by the Red Army it is due to the joint war effort, in which the United States and the USSR as allies brought about the common victory. The United States spent four years in developing this war effort and suffered one million casualties before victory could be achieved. The destruction of German industry, for example, was to a large extent due to the employment of planes manufactured in the United States and flown by American personnel. In reply to His Excellency's suggestions Mr. Hickerson stated that in the political sphere the United States Government will do everything in its power to bring about a fair and reasonable settlement of outstanding issues at the forthcoming peace conference. Regarding the economic suggestions of the Foreign Minister, Mr. Hickerson asked whether in the matter of displaced goods the Hungarian Government has addressed a similar request for restitution to the USSR