The Hungarian Student, 1958 (2. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1958 / 3. szám
8 the Hungarian student ASIA (Continued from page 7.) In the Philippines, there is a so-called Community Development Program in operation, which was instigated by the late president, Magsaysay. The essence of this program lies in the mutual effort of the government and the people to develop rural areas, both agriculturally and culturally. Communist Parties Another question is the relative strength of the Communist parties in various Asian countries. In the latest elections in Djakarta, Indonesia, the C.P. of Java was in the majority; in the state of Kerala, India, there is now a Communist administration, clearly showing the considerable strength of communism. A Hungarian writer, George Gömöry, has written in his Notes to the “New Class” that Communist ideology is the consequence of poverty, misery, and social inequality. “As soon as the living standards of the people reaches that of contemporary Scandinavia, the danger of communism will automatically dissolve.” This is not true in the case of Asia, except in Japan, where the C.P. is not strong. , (It has only two MP’s.) But the C.P. is working, however, through so-called transmissiqn organizations, such as the Student Union, Zenkaguren. They try to appeal to the people through ideas which immediately win their sympathy, such as protests against further H-bomb tests. The question, therefore, is, what can one do to prevent the eventual victory of totalitarianism, the rule of the “New Class” over millions of people? The wisest thing may not be to oppose the efforts of newcommunism, but to encourage socialistic parties, such as the Socialists of India, Burma, Indonesia, and the Trotzkyist L.S.S.P. I was really glad to see how important the activities of Socialist parties are in these countries. I was glad to see that these parties really are searching for a way of developing their country’s economy, and of raising the living standard of the people. In Ceylon, for example, the L.S.S.P. has sixteen seats in the parliament while the C.P. has no more than three. The L.S.S.P. organizes the strikes and in many ways is in the first line of every socialistic movement. The C.P. can do nothing. Burma has a socialistic government; India has a strong socialistic party. In my opinion, only these parties are able to neutralize totalitarian tendencies. My conclusion, therefore, would be: the role of Socialist parties, as I have witnessed, is important in Asian countries and at the same time very effective. They should be helped by the West because what most of them want is freedom and their own independent economy. Hungarian Students are unmoved by amateur Communists. (Reprinted from the Burmese paper, “The Nation.”) ENGLISH SUMMARY OF HUNGARIAN SECTION March. March is the month of the national anniversary of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution. One of its heroes was Sándor Petőfi, the great lyric poet. János Arany, the author of Emlékezés Petőfire reprinted in this issue, was Petőfi’s best friend, a translator of Shakespeare, and also an epic and lyric poet. The other poem by Joseph Bakucz, a young Hungarian refugee, was written in memory of Petőfi. * * * Máté Major. Máté Major is a well-known architect and professor at the School of Architecture in Budapest. He is the only Hungarian architect who since 1950 has stood by the developing progressive architectural school. * * * “How Hungarian Words Begin to Function in English.” This short story by J. B. relates an episode in the life of the Hungarian colony in New York. * * * Letter from Abroad. A friend of ours who has lived for some time in San Cristobal, writes about the situation and customs in Venezuela. The article was written prior to the recent revolution. * * * “A Battle in Csóka”. This short story by Móra Ferenc takes place in 1848. Two villages, Csóka (where the majority of the population is Hungarian), and Szanád (where the majority of the populaton is Serbian) have lived peacefully together for centuries. When the men of both villages decide to defend their towns against the invading Austrians a feud ensues between Csóka and Szanád. The story ends with the “battle” of Csóka. * * * Sports. Fifty-three people from the Hungarian group attending the Olympics in Melbourne did not return to Hungary. Later, nine of them decided to return, although the remainder did not deflect. The sport section of this issue deals with the lives of the fifty-three Hungarian sportsmen. * * * News from Home. Arrests, harsh judgments, economic hardships, the alarming proximity of the deadline to pay back the Soviet Union’s loan, viewless culture—these are articles with which Hungary’s newspapers deal. * * * Message from the Editor. The editor replies to questions sent in by the readers. * * * Humor. The following remark of a music instructor teaching his pupils the “Slander Aria,” from Rossini’s Barber of Seville, points out the present situation of Hungarians: “Now we are going to learn something which may yet be of value in our lives.”
