Verhovayak Lapja, 1944 (27. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1944 / Verhovay Journal
Page 2 Verhovay Journal December 13, 1944 Truths Versus Half-Truths Beware of false prophets from Central Europe who pervert facts to their own secret ends By STEPHEN HUZIANYI From the Danubian Basin a secret weapon is being launched against Americans that may decide the war long after the weapons have been silenced and armies have ceased to deploy. This secret but by no means new device is PROPAGANDA and may well destroy again, as in 1919, the structure of peace in Central Europe by an arbitrary reshuffling of boundaries based on lies and falsification of history. The sly agents who direct Central European propaganda against us are here in our midst. They wear the disguise and protective coloring of allies and friends of the United States but machinate against the long-term welfare of Americans and the world at large. They spread propaganda for a new and powerful world state, a Slav empire, in a cunning and innocent manner by filling columns and pages of ostensibly disinterested and respectable magazines and periodicals with seemingly ‘'impartial” and “analytical” essays and articles. I will use excerpts from these articles to show samples of the lies and distortions of the truth with which we are being bombarded. We hope that Americans will learn to recognize these hifalutin and documented “analyses,” “editorials,” “criticisms,” etc., no matter in which high-sounding magazine or periodical they find them, as just so much sophisticated baloney and plain hooey. POINT 2 — INSTALLMENT VI “Unfortunately the leaders of this struggle (Magyar War for Indepedence in 1848-49) for national independence ignored and antagonized the efforts of the non-Magyar minorities.” —(Rustem Vambery) Here Mr. Vambery would have us believe that the Magyar leaders in 1848 did not want to have anything to do with the various nationalities within Hungary, that these same peoples, immigrants as they were, were not only pushed around but were "antagonized” by the Magyars. Mr. Vambery is expressing a pro-Slav view entirely! The mail does hot mention the fact that the Magyars had first to win their own independeence from the Habsburgs, and only then could grant privileges to the variegated nationalities which settled in Hungary only such rights as would not'dismember their country. But'Mr. Vambery does not want to see this point because he is an exponent of a special view, championing as he does the “rights” of the anti-Magyar tourists in Hungary, many Of whom were trained to come from across the borders of Hungary to incite revolt and play on the “fact” that these different immigrant groups were “brothers” of the states across the boundaries, and should therefore yearn to be taken to the bosom of their respective mother countries. The Habsburgs encouraged these activities so as to weaken Magyar activities for independence. Minorities, a rather modern term, was invented by boulevard politicians who frantically shouted “oppression” for reasons of their own. In the 19th century, at least in Hungary, there was no such thing as minorities. At that period the various nationalities were different from the minorities of today. Those in Hungary became associated with the community of Magyars, accepting the Hungarian way of life. If the non-Magyars had been left alone, and had the anti-Magyar instigators not schemed in the neighboring countries and secretly peddled their plans in Hungary, it is doubtful whether there would be such a thing as minorities of the present day. Minorities will exist with the constant reshuffling and bungling of boundaries. What about the efforts of the non-Magyar nationalities themselves? No features of irredentism can be found in their rebellious attitude—not until the turn of the 20th century, when the Greater Slav dream in Europe became realized. The Magyars did not decline to satisfy the political and cultural aspirations of the non-Magyar nationalities, so far as the integrity of the state was preserved. You certainly would not expect the Magyars, after they founded Hungary, bled white to save Europe from the Mongols and to save Christianity from the Turks, to turn their country over to a bunch of foreign settlers who would impose on Hungary their own tongues, be it Serbian, Wallachian, Moldavian, Croatian, Saxonian, or Slovak, as the national language of the land founded, settled and developed by the Magyars! To Mr. Vambery, Czecho-Slovakia is the flower of democracy, and the Magyars are villains. The Czechs never made mistakes; the Magyars made all the errors, because all the various citizens of Hungary, of whatever descent, could not be given an opportunity to break up the state created by the Magyars. Czecho-Slovakia, it must be remembered, is a 20th century state, and contained just as many nationalities as were in Hungary prior to Trianon. Czechs, Moravians, Slovaks, Magyars, Ruthenians, et al, were incorporated in Czecho-Slovakia. To gain his point in carrying out his “Detruyez...” (Destroy Austria-Hungary) scheme, Mr. Benes at the Pffris Peace tables after World War I insisted that the Slovaks and Czechs were one nation at one time. But he himself wrote a book in 1908, published in Paris, “The Austrian Problem and the Czech Question,” in which he talks of the mass meeting held in Prague on March 11, 1848, when the Czechs dispatched a delegation to the Habsburg Emperor, and wherein no mention is made of their brethren Slovaks. Mr. Benes mentioned only “the legislative community between the lands of St. Venceslaus Crown, that is, between Bohemia, Moravia and VENI, Villi By Helen Stipkovits Branch 395, McKeesport, Pa. Although the Thanksgiving party held by Branch 395 was not in strict traditional style, I think it could be said that a good time was had by all, which is more or less putting the cart before the horse. But if I were to start at the beginning, I’d say that we were a bit doubtful as to whether or not there would be any guests, as our 395-ers have been conspicuous by their absence from meetings this past year. However, they were fashionably late. The surprise of the evening was Johnny Such, home on furlough, and looking like every Uncle’s nephew yould like to look. He has been in Ft. Leonard Wood, the home of the hill-billies, since he left Sunny California and Hedy Lamarr. He got her autograph though, which he showed to us. Since the conversation was flowing in G. I. channels, Pinky Goydan told us her brother Alex has gone from Hawaii and is now in the Marianas; and Theresia Lesnansky’s brother Steve is in France. To date, the count is 26 service men from Branch 395 and two returned veterans of World War II. We had some news from our own JOHNNY SABO to the effect that he expects a Christmas furlough; it will certainly be nice to have him look in on us. Incidentally, his daughter, Nancy, is the “charter” member of our very, very new Juvenile Order. (To all members: keep on the alert for prospects.) But to get back to my subject. After we got the late-comers and everybody together, the party got under way. The entertainment committee presented us with a couple of games; the first livened Silesia, which all three are to be represented in a General Parliament sitting alternately in Bohemia and in Moravia.” The program, maintained by Czech politicians ever since, became known as the "Czech Public Law.” The idea was to form a state headed by the Czechs, who are advertised as the “Yankees of Central Europe.” Let us turn to some of the contemporary authors of the time. What did they say concerning Hungary? Henry W. DePuy, in KOSSUTH AND HIS GENERALS, says that "by unanimous votes of both houses, the (Magyar) Diet not only established perfect equality of civil rights and public burdens among all classes, denominations and races in Hungary and its provinces, and perfect toleration for every form of religious worship, but with a generosity perhaps unparallelled in the history of nations, and which must extort the admiration even of those who may question the wisdom of the measure, the nobles of Hungary abolished their own right to exact either labor or produce in return for the lands lend by urbarial tenure, and thus transferred to the peasants the absolute ownership, free and forever, of nearly half the cultivated land in the kingdom, reserving to the original proprietors of the soil such compensation as the government might award from the public funds of Hungary.” Another worthwhile reading is THE MAGYARS by Arthur J. Patterson, who makes this statement: “But what more than all else marked the radical character of the reforms of 1849 was the low qualifications required for the voters which it introduced. In the first place, the (Magyar) Diet declared that it did not feel itself justified in depriving any citizen of political rights which he had previously enjoyed.” It was only some of the Hungarian citizens of Serbian and Rumanian descent, living in southern Hungary, and instigated from pro-Slav tendencies from Serbia, who rebelled loudly and desired the carving up of Hungary. In the north, Upper Hungary, the majority of the Hungarian citizens of Slovak and Ruthenian birth were satisfied, for over 40,000 of them fought side by side with the Magyars against the Habsburg armies. For the record, let us briefly review what took place as far as the Serbian and Rumanian settlers of Hungary are concerned. Serb “patriots” from Belgrade, Serbia, invaded southern Hungary, somewhat like the modem German “tourists” and tried hard to stir a revolt. The Serb government at Belgrade, having other designs, did not desire to reach a peaceful settlement with Kossuth in 1848, concerning the Hungarian citizens of Serbian descent. Even Vienna was forced to turn down flatly the extremely antagonistic and excessive demands of the Serbs. An agreement with the Magyar leaders was reached on June 16, 1849, granting Hungarian citizens of Serb descent protection of then- rights, and guaranteeing higher education. Now, let us turn to the claims of the Wallachians and Moldavians (Rumanians since 1878) in Hungary. The majority of their leaders agreed that Transylvania should be an autonomous province of Hungary, with equality for the Magyars, Rumanians, Saxons and Szekelys. One party desired to make their demands as a unit in the entire Habsburg Monarchy, while the other desired to realize its aim within the framework of Hungary. It was this latter party that negotiated with Kossuth. The Hungarian Parliament passed a bill which guaranteed independence to Croatia. On August 26, 1848, Kossuth announced that the political program for the non-Magyar nationalities would be so far-reaching as would grant them unrestrained development in their own culture, their language, education and municipal development—but not to the extent that these Hungarian citizens of non-Magyar descent would so organize their political aspirations according to their territorial settlement. A clear-headed man would see that if Kossuth would grant these non-Magyar citizens of Hungary this complete political power, it would mean the breaking-up of Hungary, merely to serve the pan-Slav idea. Kossuth would not allow that then, as neither does Mr. Churchill wish to preside now over a council of British ministers who desire to see the British Empire liquidated. You can’t blame Kossuth; neither can you blame good old Mr. Churchill. One was a good Magyar; the other a good Britisher. up wiht the rippling rhythm of Ethel Halas’ 20th Century Harpsichord, and the second presented for yer enjoyment by • yers trooly. (P|. S. Bruises were merely superficial, and no bones broken, thank you.) Then, precisely at the precise moment, our Major "foomo announced that refreshments awaited our pleasure, so we took our places around a very cheerful fire in the fireplace—excuse me— furnace. The refreshment committee, ably headed by Miss Bagi, did itself proud with the lunch; and Pinky Goydan baked a cake, chocolate, that would make any man’s stomach refer it to. the heart department. Washing dishes wasn’t even bad, with Johnny Such pitching in on the KP. Since it was late by this time and we had quite worn off the horns of the conversational bull, we closed up the jernt and went home. * * * P. S. I forgot to mention that somewhere in the middle of all this, we decided that our next meeting would be held on January 23, 1945. It was pointed out, also, that it would be nice to see some members whom we have not seen as yet, such as Doris Ferry and Esther Movie; and there’s Stephen Benedek and a couple (dozen) others that I could mention. So, put the date on your calendar and come down. P.P.S. To each and every one of you, a Happy Christmas and a Hopeful New Year!------------------v-----------------ENSIGN A. J. MÓLNAK Chicago Branch 503 Alex Molnár received his wings September 26th at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. He is to pilot a Liberator bomber. “Lefty,” as he was known to his teammates on the 503 baseball team several years ago, had his pre-flight at DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana; started flying at Ball State Teachers College, Muncie; then he went to Iowa University at Iowa City; and, after that, to the primary flying base at Olathe, Kansas, where he was flying for 5 months, doing also acrobatics; finally, he went to Pensacola Where, at the Whiting Field, he received his wings. We extend our hearty congratulations to you, Ensign Molnár! •-----------V-----------— A dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to. — No, but see how much faster it goes. MAGISTRATE: Occupation? PRISONER: I am a magician I can make things disappear. MAGISTRATE: I’m a magician too. I can make you disappear — for 30 days.
