Fraternity-Testvériség, 1943 (21. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1943-02-01 / 2. szám
TESTVÉRISÉG 9 “AS THE AMERICAN HUNGARIAN FEDERATION HAS DECLARED” Message of ihe HONORABLE A. A. BERLE. Jr., Assis lant Secretary of State, to the American Hungarian Federation at its meeting in Bridgeport, Connecticut, January 31, 1943. I greatly r.egret that pressure of work prevents my being with you Sunday night. My regret is increased because Americans of Hungarian ancestry have, with few exceptions, loyally supported the United States and its war effort, and many thousands of them are in the American armed forces, and are working in the arsenals of democracy. I am sure they recognize, as we all do, and as the American Hungarian Federation has repeatedly declared, that our common foe is the existence of Nazi tyranny, which is today plundering Hungary and sending Hungarians by thousands to die on the Russian plains. Only a victory which wipes out the Nazi philosophy and way of life can make it possible for Hungary to continue in existence. You are American citizens, and part of the great composite stream of American life. You know that national unity is essential if America is to put forth her greatest effort. Foreign politicians may seek to distract you from the achievement of this unity. To these your best answer is that you are Americans, and that you do not choose to be led back into the intrigues, the hatreds and the petty quarrels of the old Europe. Your voice will be heard through your free participation in the American Government, and you need no instructions from abroad as to where your loyalties lie. No one who seeks to sow division among Americans of foreign ancestry can be counted as our friend. The Atlantic Charter has stated as an objective a world in which nations large and small may have freedom from fear. With the victory of the United Nations lies the hope of all peoples. I give you all greeting in the common effort for victory. “THIS IS OUR CREED” Address by MSGR. ELEMÉR EÖRDÖGH, Toledo, Ohio, Representing the Hungarian Rom. Catholic Clergy Words once uttered, are gone with the wind, but what is set down in writing remains unchangeable. For this reason I am reading this address rather than delivering it from memory. Serious as the condition of the world at present is, this patriotic meeting is also serious for us, who are by blood Hungarians, but by birth or by free will and choice, Americans. If ever, certainly now this magnanimous contry of ours has the solemn right to know where, and how her children stand! This country which, during the last century or so has received us exiles from oppression, misery and sufferings, welcomed us with open hearts and arms, with understanding and sincere sympathy and shared with us all the good it has. We, American-Hungarians, believe in Freedom, believe in Liberty, believe in Democracy, believe in Justice for all. We are with heart and soul for the Atlantic Charter. We stand, full of enthusiasm, firmly behind our great President, the greatest living statesman and leader of our age. This is our Creed: We want to cooperate with all our energy to fight against and exterminate any and all the machinations of the fifth columnist. We are praying for PEACE, but we do not want appeasement of any kind. We don’t want any peace until Nazism and Fascism are entirely extinct from the world. The destructive principles of Nazism and Fascism, which hover about us like a terrible dream or a horrfying nightmare, must disappear from the mind and heart of the whole world. We stand almost breathless, watching the heroic fight of the Russian people. These millions of young Russians are fighting for their own beloved land. They don't want to be slaves. So, we approve fullheartedly of giving help to them. Just a few days ago we were pleased to read the report of Mr. Edward R. Stettinus, Jr., that, as of January 1st, more than 3,200 tanks and almost 2,800 planes had gone from the United States to Russia. We know that our government is willing to help them just to destroy our common foe, the Nazis—but certainly not to help Bolshevism. Yes, after destroying and annihilating Fascism and Nazism, we don’t want to see the world ruled by Bolshevism. Our aim is the aim of our great President,—we want Peace with Freedom, peace with Liberty, peace with Democracy, and peace with justice for all! These are the principles of American-Hungarians and they are not just idle boasts, not words that look good in the newspaper, they are not mere bursts of oratory, they are facts. For these facts and principles we gladly give our boys to the armed forces, often 3, 4, 5 from one family; for these facts and principles hundreds of thousands of our people are laboring unceasingly in defense plants; for these facts and principles we are sponsoring War Bond Drives in practically every Hungarian community with astonishing success even among the poorest; for these facts and principles we bought ambulances and canteens for the Army and the
