The Hungarian Student, 1958 (2. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1958 / 2. szám
2 the Hungarian student Letter from the Editor FROM STUDENTS, come letters full of despair and anxiety. News from abroad, newspapers, and broadcasts spell out the sad story of Hungarians still in Yugoslav refugee camps. Let’s proceed from point to point. In late November, the days already belonged to the Soviet Union and only for a few hours at night was the metallic laugh of submachine guns heard. Masses of rebels were marching southwest to continue armed resistance in the area of the uranium mines of Hungary. These men offered their lives in exchange for the time necessary for the U.N.’s slow moving apparatus to provide help for those who fought for human freedom, or so they thought. This help seemed late and finally did not come at all, with the exception of a few resolutions. No diplomatic or economic sanctions were brought against the aggressor. Instead, the undisturbed aggressor, by increasing his military strength was able to brush aside the remaining resistance and cut the path of the refugees by closing the western border of the country. For the defenders of the mines there remained only two alternatives: flee to Yugoslavia or stay and die. There were many on both sides. The story of L. D. is identical to thousands of others. He was a member of the revolutionary council of a small town in southern Hungary, and one of the organizers of armed resistance there. When he realized that everything was lost, he tried to fight his way, with his wife and two children, through the border territory to Austria. He was arrested, and released only because of his children. But the man was already wanted by the Secret Police and dared not stay in Hungary. He and his wife fled to Yugoslavia, leaving the small children with their grandparents and planning to get them as soon as they were safe. One whole year, full of excitement, disillusion, and exasperation has passed and L. D. is still living in a Yugoslav camp. He had hoped to come to the United States, but the separate members of his family were refused the permit. Meanwhile, about 3,000 of the camp’s total 20,000 returned to Hungary as a result of the cruel winter, hunger, and the depressing and hopeless conditions. But the only news which came back to the camp was of their arrest and even execution. Still L. D. did not give up hope although he knew that awaiting him were not only his children, but the courts of terror and possibly death. He had tremendous faith that help would come, from the world calling itself “free.” Today the word “help” sounds like a bad joke to L. D. and the other refugees. Several signs indicate that Yugoslav authorities can no longer feed the refugees. Official figures show that of the ten million dollar expense of the camp, the United States takes care of only one-tenth. The Yugoslavs try to get rid of their burden by sending home the remaining 2,800 Hungarians. In bitter silence a year ago we listened to the excuse of a bad conscience, “Giving the Hungarian the help they needed would have meant another World War!” Today there is no acceptable explanation for abandoning the poor fellows who trusted human solidarity. Those who live in well heated apartments and always have something to eat, will never be able to give a good reason for not bothering about the unlucky ones who are suffering humiliation, dying from hunger, or freezing to death. However, if just one more refugee is victimized by the Red terror, the court of human conscience will never acquit those who could have helped. The Hungarian Student is an official monthly publication of the Association of Hungarian Students in the United States. Subscriptions are $5.00 a year for any person or organization. No fees are paid for published articles and all material for publication must be received by the 15th of the month prior to issue. Application for Second-Class Mail Privileges is pending at New York, New York. Editor-in-Chief: L. G. PAPP Managing Editor: A. B. NAGY Editorial Office: 22 East 38th Street, New York, 16, New York Business Office: Room 308, 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, Massachusetts Volume Two, Number Two February, 1958 FRAGMENTS... SUNDAY NEWS December 22, 1957. “The refugee agencies here have long suspected Tito of returning wanted Hungarians. This is bad news for the 4,000 freedom fighters still in Yugoslav camps, or at least for those who have not been integrated into the Yugoslav economy. Five Hungarians who managed to cross Tito’s border to Austria in recent weeks reported that they had escaped just ahead of a deportation order.” THE NEW YORK TIMES January 6, 1958. Richard C. Raymond commented: “We have managed to place all the highly qualified and exeptional Hungarian students who came to this country. They are justifying the faith of the Americans who helped them.” HEIGHTS DAILY NEWS October 29, 1957. “About forty Hungarian refugees are now enrolled at the New York University, Dr. J. Richard Töven, head of the NYU Foreign Student Center, has reported. NYU’s Hungarian students are ‘academically well qualified and have adjusted to their new surroundings.’ ” THE NEW YORK TIMES November 3, 1957 “There are probably fifteen or twenty medical students among the 400 Hungarian students in Yugoslavia who still await admission to the United States.” JOURNAL AMERICAN December 22, 1957. Prosecutor Géza Szénási told the year’s last session of parliament: “The prosecution of counterrevolutionary cases is not yet at an end. There has been talk that the campaign of punishment should be followed by a campaign of mercy.” THE NEW YORK TIMES January 15, 1958. “Several Hungarian boys ranging in age from 14 to 15 years will be put on trial as counterrevolutionaries. The exact number of youths involved and their names were not given.” THE STUTE Stevens Institute of Technology, November, 1957. “I am studying English with a dictionary at night, and when I fall asleep I dream that I am home with my parents and friends in a free and independent Hungary with the revolution won.” According to reports gathered after the deadline, (January 31, 1958), all Hungarian refugees who were in Yugoslav camps have now been resettled in Europe.
