Szittyakürt, 1977 (16. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1977-12-01 / 12. szám

OCTOBER 23, 1977 mart* Page 3 THE COST OF PROGRESS The average loss in a car accident for 1976 was $1600, an all-time high, according to the Insurance Information Institute (110 William St., N.Y. 10038). Altogether, eco­nomic losses totaled $40.9 billion for the year, a 13.4% increase over 1975. (Cost include auto repair, medical care, hospital room, and doctors’ fees.) Accidents were up 2.2%, and injuries were up 5.8%. Fatalaties rose from 46,000 to 47,100. Those are some of the reasons rates are so “unreasonable.”1 1 Popular Science, September, 1977, “Detroit Report” by Jim Dunne, Pg. 76. One half of the fatalities are caused by drunk drivers. When Henry Ford, earlier this century, devised a method of mass­­production by which cars can be produced virtually in minutes, and as a result, highway construction soon took upon in greater scale than the building of the pyramids in Ancient Egypt, in comparison, he never thought about the great mass­­destruction of the populace on the roads that followed. In Hungary, since the October 23, 1956 Revolution, by the govern­ment’s liberal decision of instituting the so-called “Era of New Mechani­zation,” tens of thousands of auto­mobiles have been introduced to the streets of the cities and to the roads of the countryside. A tremendous number of these are powered by small, two-cycle, internal combus­tion engines. The pollution rates in the air and in the water streams achieved unprecedented propor­tions, and the death rate, as a result of car accidents, virtually competes with the birth rate of the popula­tion. Recently we have heard and read much, as a result of protests from responsible people inside and outside the country, concerning the Soviet-dictated practice of abortions in Hungary. The Kádár Regime curbed much the official abortion practices; no up turn in population growth occurred however. Gradually the highway fatalities that occur in Hungary destroy the people in a comparable rate to an on-going war. The war is as though almost carried on, besides suicidal internal policies of the “New Mech­anization,” by the onslaught of foreign tourists that criss-cross the country originating from the sur­rounding nations and rush about fat­tening up on the lazy weekend days. Since 1956, there is an ever-growing foreign invasion of the Carpath Basin from the Slavic, Germanic, and Latin countries. To be sure, there was no war declared; only Modern Western civilization is en­croaching with a “deadly speed.” As in the United States, also in Hun­gary, the insurance costs and the cost of the “New Mechanization” drains the peoples’ energies and wealth exhaustingly. New cars waiting for their owners (Hungarian Review. July 1977, pg. 13) CAR IMPORTS Today there are 650,000 cars on the road in Hungary and nearly 450,000 more are going to be imported from socialist countries under the 5th Five-Year Plan (1976-1980). Of these more than 200,000 will come from the Soviet Union (mostly Ladas), and about 150,000 will be Trabants and Wartburgs from the German Democratic Republic. Smal­ler quantities of Skodas from Czecho­slovakia, Polski Fiats from Poland and Dacias from Romania will also be imported. Imports for 1976-1980 will be about 20 per cent higher than for 1971-1975. The total number of cars is expected to reach the million mark by the end of 1980, and 1.4 million by 1985. Although Hungary has no car industry, she supplies other CMEA countries with a range of spare parts in exchange for complete vehicles. The most important agreement is with the Togliatti Works in the Soviet Union under which five Hun­garian firms-Bakony Works, Elzett Works, Factory for Mechanical Measuring Instruments,VIDEOTON, United Incandescent Lamp and Electric Co. Ltd.-supply 18 different components ranging from windscreen wipers, steering columns, ignition distributors, complete dashboards, and door locks to car radios and headlamps. Under the agreement, which runs till 1980, Hungary will deliver 300,000 sets of components annually, in exchange for an annual 15,000 Lada cars. Under a similar deal with Poland, Hungary will exchange six types of components for complete Polski Fiat 126s. will l ____I These figures do not include the heavy trucks and busses that roam a streets and roads as well. CONSIDER THE NON-SMOKER The exhaled smoke from the smoker’s lungs has still two (2) times as much tar and nicotine left in it than what the smoker used up. The non-smoker who must inhale the polluted air that a smoker produces about him is subjected unwantingly to all the same hazards of smoking that the smoker does willingly. Now, think what those tender lungs of children are subjected to?! The smokers’ oxygen loss daily is an average of 25%; therefore, their physical and mental functions are considerably lower as well . . . By the way —You do not smoke! The cigarette smokes! You are a sucker! * * * A most recent research on tne hazards of smoking ingeniously com­piled by Dr. Guss Miller of Edinboro State Coll. (Edinboro, PA. USA.) revealed that those cigarette smokers who used filter cigarettes died 4 years earlier than smokers of none filtered ones. Dr. Miller’s research was based on thousands of cases through many years of research. Preparation for the Colonel Commander Michael Kovats de Fabriczy Bi-Centennial Celebrations 0% UouJ.n, of tie <U. S. eu/n, Go!. Com. Qflicltael iKotots Je Qalrray In the near future the official English language publication of the Hungarian Freedom Fighter Move­ment, the Fighter, will dedicate in a special issue all of its pages to Colonel Commander Michael Ko­vats de Fabriczy, the Hungarian­­born hero of Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Dr. Tibor Udvardy, the Chairman of the Col. Kováts Historical Society, travels all over the USA to make preparations to honour and commemorate the 200th year of Col. Kovats’ heroic death in 1779 fighting the British at the birth of these United States of America. The U.S. Senator, Strom Thurmond said in part the follow­ing: “Colonel-Commandant Michael de Kovats de Fabriczy, Master of Exercises and creator of the Ameri­can cavalry was born in Hungary. This is the 250th anniversary of his birth. It is, however the 196th anniversary of his death as our hero died on May 11, 1979 while break­ing out of beleagured Charleston, S.C. and inflicting sever damage on the besieging British Forces. Thus, though Hungarian by birth and American by choice, he is also a South Carolinian by fate. The English buried him at the corner of Huger Street. His English opponent, Brigade Major Skelly, paid him the greatest tribute at the requiem at his grave. He said: ‘The best cavalry the Rebels ever had.’ The Citadel at Charleston, S.C. has an important display of memo­rabilia in its museum to preserve the memory of his heroism.” Dr. Udvardy presented his pro­gress report at the Annual Con­ference of the Cross and Flag Move­ment (C.F.M.) at Towanda, PA on September 4, and later at the Congress of the American Hun­garian Federation (AHF) at the Kossuth House, in Washington, DC on September 24th of this year. Zoltán Vasváry (the founder and leader of the C.F.M.) and the organizations present at the con­ference whole-heartedly supported Dr. Udvardy’s plans and requests. The AHF Congress also extended its support to the work of Col. Kováts Historical Society. The author Louis Fury joined Dr. Udvardy’s en­deavors. The Bells are Again Ringing ... The true Hungarian perseverance is paying off again, for in Burton (Michigan, USA), a handful of dedicated Magyar parents got to­gether and laid the foundation for a Magyar Iskola (Hungarian School) for their children. The editors of the Fighter, and we are sure that its readers as well, all over the world are overjoyed by these achievements. The Flint-based chapter of the Hun­gária Freedom Fighter Movement officiated by Mr. and Mrs. Bela Jobb has supported the establish­ment of the Hungarian school and they are also working on extending the program to serve the needs of the Hungarians in the city of Flint, Michigan. We extend our heartfelt con­gratulations to Father Matthew Kiss, OFM, James Puppan and Pearl Nocilai, just to mention a few. When Father Kiss called upon James Puppan to establish the new Hun­garian School last February, James Puppan proved to be an energetic and imaginative organizer. His job was expecially difficult, but the enthusiastic teachers, Nemeth Mag­dalene, Tibor Nagy and Julius Ta­kács, accepted their responsibilities without any honorarium. It was also James who secured the textbooks and the supplies for the Hungarian school so that the students were able to buy them. This was their original announce­ment: ATTENTION HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL SCHOOL Anyone interested in learning the Hungarian Language and Culture, be they young or old, please contact one of the people listed below. On February 8, 1977, at 7:30 PM, a special meeting will be held for the benefit of those who wish to contribute their time and talents in teaching and training the students. Therefore, if you have some teach­ing skills in Hungarian, know of anyone who has teaching skills or anyone willing to help in anyway please attend this crucial meeting. Fr. MatthewJ. Kiss, OFM 742-3151 James Puppan 640-1124 Pearl Nicolai 653-3689 Place: Blessed Sacrament Center, 6340 Roberta St., Burton, Michigan - 742-3151. Mark your calendar and join your fellow Hungarians in a Cultural Exchange .... We wish them the best of luck in their endeavor for their new Fall Semester and we hope that God Will grant them a more modest Winter season so that the costs of heating and lighting the classrooms will be more reasonable, as the Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacrament of Burton, Michigan will once again provide those to the enthusiastic students. All those who feel they could support the school’s endeavor may want to send them a note of appre­ciation or some extended financial help. As time passes, the Fighter will gladly report further on the new Hungarian School’s progress. i I This is how the plans look like for the next few years concerning the personal auto mobils in Hunerarv. ......................... 1 ■Illi« ■■II___________

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