Magyar News, 2001. szeptember-2002. augusztus (12. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2001-10-01 / 2. szám
Searching memories for those who created them and for those who should learn about them As you might have noticed the Magyar News tries to find connections between Hungary and the United States of America. Looking back at the event of 1956, here and there, we succeeded. I am sure that there are many more that are hidden, lost or just not forthcoming. In my search I looked up some of the leading publications. I found that the special edition of the Life magazine is a great storage both in text and in dramatic photographs. On the right is a short, condensed political evaluation of the international situation, of Hungary, Soviet Union and naturally the United States. It also praises the Hungarian People and their accomplishment in changing the direction of the world. This article was written by Archibald MacLeish. We thank him for showing the world the value of the sacrifices that the Hungarians made giving their lives for the cause. The LIFE article was printed in December 1956. FOR THE PEOPLE OF HUNGARY ...on TIME for the time... Time Magazine was an other choice to investigate. The January 7, 1957 issue was very impressive. On the cover depicted was a young Hungarian Freedom Fighter as the man of the year. A sizable article deals with the events of October 23, 1956. Browsing through the article I noticed that it limited its scope to Hungary and the Soviet Union. In one sentence it mentioned the Poles, but that was it. No sign of world powers, not even the United States of America. The opening lines were put the Freedom Fighter on a high pedestal. This is what they wrote: "The world entered 1956 with a full complement of great men: national leaders, statesmen, philosophers, artists and scientists, many of whom, pursuing their legitimate vocations, would be remembered among the great names of the epoch. But the man who put his stamp on this particular year—the Man of the Year was not on the roster of the world's great when the year began. Nor could anyone have guessed his identity, even when the year had run four-fifths of its course. Yet by year's end, this man was seen to have shaken history's greatest despotism to its foundations." The writer chose four young men to tell their stories about October 23. These men were partially real and also mixed with bits and pieces of fiction. What they described was the reaction of common men who were put in an extraordinary situation. When the information was given on more substantial matter then the accuracy lagged behind. It is definetely not a source for historians. The Petőfi Circle in this article was turned around and credit was given to the Communist Youth Organization. Also the shooting at the Radio Station was diluted and far from the truth, so was the role of Colonel Pal Malether. Still it opened many eyes and gave due credit to the Hungarian people. IT HAPPENS, BUT WE ARE NOT PROUD OF IT During the process of putting out the last issue of the Magyar News there were two basic factors that interfered with its printing. One is claimed to be a very bad storm that affected the computer. It seemed first that it was doing the right thing but in the final step it threw in the monkey wrench and the article on Árpádhon was printed with unreasonable typos. In the mean time a health condition popped up distracting from the needed last minute supervision. Hopefully in the future we won’t have to apologize because it shouldn’t happen again. Page 7 We do not speak of a Hungarian Revolution. We speak of the Hungarian agony. From the moment when the Communist regime in Budapest fired upon an unarmed crowd and turned its quarrel with the Hungarian people from a political quarrel which it could not win into an armed revolt which, with Soviet aid, it could not lose, the suppression of the Hungarian resistance was inevitable. The world seemed to feel that it had no choice, short of atomic war, but to sit back and watch, in horror and disgust, the brutal, methodical destruction of an angry people by overwhelming force and conscienceless treachery. It is understandable, certainly, that we in the United States should feel shamed by our inability to act in this nightmare. Nevertheless, we should not forget, in all the suffering and pain, that we owe the people of Hungary more than our pity. We owe them also pride and praise. For their defeat has been itself a triumph. Those Hungarian students and workers and women and fighting children have done more to close the future to Communism than armies or diplomats had done before them. They have given more and done more. For what they have done has been to expose the brutal hypocrisy of Communism for all of Asia, all of Africa, all the world to see. So long as men live in any country who remember the murder of Hungary, Soviet Russia will never again be able to pose before the world as the benefactor of mankind. The Hungarian dead have tom that mask off. Their fingers hold its tatters in their graves. ARCHIBALD MACLEISH
