Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)

1945 / Verhovay Journal

VOL. XXVIII. FEBRUARY 14, 1945 No. 3. GREEN LIGHT GIVEN TO HUNGARIAN WAR RELIEF THE PRESIDENT’S WAR RELIEF CONTROL BOARD ap­proved the application of the Hungarian War Relief Committee and granted permission for the launching of the movement. Our readers will recall that on the 25th of October, 1944, in New York, a Committee has been organized with the aim oi uniting all Americans of Hungarian origin in a single central­ized organization the sole purpose of which was to be the aid for the starved and improverished people of Hungary. On the last page of the November 9, 1944, issue of the Journal the story of this Committee has been told. Three months have passed since American Hungarians united to help their brethren who have been oppressed and robbed by .the Nazis and then went through the horrors of war. The Presi­dent’s War Relief Control Board could not grant permission to the Hungarian War Relief Committee to begin operations as long as Hungary remained officially an enemy country- However, immediately following the signing of the armistice treaty, the President’s War Relief Control Board issued the permit and authorized the Hungarian War Relief Committee, to be known as “AMERICAN HUNGARIAN RELIEF, INC.’’, to appeal to all Amer­icans of Hungarian origin for funds to be distributed among the starving people of Hungary. The promptness with which permission was granted to the Committee is a sign of the understanding attitude our government adopted in judging Hungary’s role in the present war. But it is also an indication of the urgency of the need. The poverty of the long suffering people of Hungary has reached a depth that defies description. Hungarians, never a rich people, were systematically robbed by the Nazis of all their products and earnings. This was followed by the liberation of Hun­gary by the Russian armies which, however, due to the desperate resistance of the Nazi armies, became an unduly prolonged process during which villages, towns and cities have been bombed and burned, and civilians and soldiers alike killed by the thousands. Hungary today probably presents an endless scenery of ruins amongst which wounded and crippled civilians search for the last remnants of their earthly belongings. The unusually cold winter, the complete lack of food, the lack of sanitation and medical care have taken a terrible toll of Hungary’s population in addition to actions of war. Fighting is still going on in Budapest which is inhabited by one-seventh of the entire population of Hungary. Imagination is weak to picture the plight of the people trapped in the holocaust of Budapest . . . The need is desperate and the task that confronts Americans of Hungarian descent so great that we approach it with trembling heart. For even if we grant that there are perhaps as many as one million Americans of Hungarian descent, we must realize that there are ten million Hungarians in the old country who look for help to their American brethren. That means that there are ten Hungarians in desperate need for every American Hungarian who could help them. And from that it follows that the task of rendering help to Hungary cannot be relegated to the considerably smaller group of naturalized Hun­garian immigrants which consists mostly of the older folks who three of four decades ago left the old country for a better world. Second and third generation dessendants of the immigrants will have to accept their share of this task, for even though they may never have met their old-country relatives, they are their re­latives nevertheless. They may be distant uncles and aunts, cousins and nieces, never-seen grand-mothers and grand-fathers, yet by their undescribable suffering they are brought near to us and the responsibility for their survival falls directly upon our shoulders. For if the fathers and mothers of the descendants of the immigrants had not possessed the courage and initiative to emigrate, their sons and daughters, now happy citizens of the American democracy, would have been born in Hungary, destined to suffer to the full measure the deprivations, the poverty, the dangers and horrors of war that has become the inescapable lot of the children of their uncles and aunts who preferred to stay in Hungary. If there ever was a moral obligation that the young folks had to share with their old people, this is it! The “AMERICAN HUNGARIAN RELIEF, INC.”, is the only organization authorized by the Government to collect funds in behalf of the Hungarian people. Local committees must secure permission to function from the “American Hungarian Relief, Inc.”. No person and no organization has the right to collect funds or make appeals unless authorized by the “American Hungarian Relief Inc.”. Therefore, all Branches are. urged to proceed with the or­ganizing of a Hungarian War Relief Committee and to secure FOUNDERS’ MONTH MEMBERSHIP CONTEST OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 59 years ago, on February 20 and 21, 1886, thirteen miners gathered in the little mining town Hazleton and founded the Verho­­vay Fraternal Insurance Associa­tion which since has grown to become the largest and strongest American Hungarian fraternal or­ganization. In commemoration of this fact Supreme President John Bencze declared February, 1945, FOUNDERS’ MONTH and in memory of the 13 miners and in keeping with the tradition started by them, announced a MEMBER­SHIP CONTEST for the branch­­managers and local organizers of the Association. The contest started on February 1st, 1945 and shall end on Feb­ruary 28th. All applications count that were written by the branch­­managers and local organizers between the 1st and 28th of February, inch, and approved by the chief medical examiner of the Association. In accordance with fraternal principals and in harmony with the Founders’ traditions, we are not concerned so much about the amount of insurance written as with the number of new mem­bers secured. Therefore, no mat­ter what amount of insurance is applied for, each and every appli­cation shall count as one new member, excepting the Juvenile Term classes in which three ap­plications shall count as 1 new member. On the 59th birthday of the Ver­­hovay F. I. Association the Sup­reme President would like to see the occasion commemorated by 10 applications for every year of Verhovay activity. He calls upon the Branch-managers and local organizers to produce 590 new members during February. The publicity department sincerely be­lieves this aim to be extremely modest. During last year’s Teb­­ruary the contestants produced 800 applications and there is no reason in the world why that record could not be repeated. IF EVERY BRANCH-MANAGER PARTICIPATES IN THE CON­TEST AND PRODUCES ONLY TWO APPLICATIONS DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, THEN LAST YEAR’S PERFORM­ANCE WILL BE SURPASSED. * # * We offer one thought to our branch-managers and local organ­izers, in fact, to the entire mem­bership. A sad thought which, nevertheless, should turn into a challenge that will line up every bracnh-manager and local organ­izer and every member of the Association in a supreme effort to make this year’s FOUNDERS MONTH contest an unparalleled success in Verhovay history. We refer to the sad fact that our Association has lost in this war nearly 120 members who have found their death in the prime of their youth in the field of battle. 120 young men have died who according to all expectations should have lived to attain old age. We offer this solemn suggestion: IS THE MEMBERSHIP OF OUR ASSOCIATION WILLING TO DO SOMETHING TO REPLACE THESE YOUNG MEMBERS WHO HAVE LEFT OUR RANKS BEFORE THEIR TIME? Perhaps it is too early yet to mention that plans are in the making for the creating of some sort of '‘Commemoratory Mem­bership” for new members who join the Association in honor and memory of our heroic dead ... We are certain that close friends of our members who have been killed in action would like to pay a lasting tribute to the departed by taking out a membership cer­tificate that would in some way perpetuate the name of the heroic dead member for his friends and their families... Naturally such a plan could have nothing to do with a contest. No commercialism must be attached to our efforts to preserve the memory of our heroes... W’e mention these plans only because we believe that the thought should be brought home to our managers and organizers and to the membership of the Association too, that an effort should be made to replace the loss in membership incurred be­cause of the war ... Let there be no misunderstand­ing of this proposition: no one can replace these young men who have been everything to their parents, wives, children, brothers and sisters... When speaking of replacing them, we think of the membership as a whole, of the number ojf members we would have if we had not lost them and of the economic loss caused by their untimely death to the Asso­authorization for the same from the “Hungarian War Relief Inc.”. The name and address of the chairman of the local Committees should be sent to the Home Office of the Verhovay F. I. Associa­tion which, in turn, will forward the same to the “American Hun­garian Relief, Inc.”, for proper authorization. Then, and only then, may the local Committee proceed to collect funds which will be distributed among the Hungarian people under the supervision of the government. These government regulations insure the proper handling and just distribution of the funds collected. We urge all branch-officers to act immediately! ciation as a whole. Being mem­bers of the great Verhovay family the thought of such economic loss does not even enter our minds . .. the sense of mourning, of sharing the sorrow of their immediate families is foremost in our minds ... yet we would be unfair to the membership in its entirety if we would refuse to face the fact that their untimely death resulted in a loss that will increase with every new case of W’ar-caused death. Considering these losses, it is clear that one new member can not replace a member W’ho has been killed in the prime of his youth. IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST TEN NEW MEMBERS— NEW MEMBERS WHO STAY MEMBERS—TO OFFSET THE LOSS CAUSED BY THE DEATH OF ONE YOUNG MEMBER. Only by gaining 1200 new members OVER AND ABOVE the normal increase in membership could the loss of these 120 young soldier members be redeemed as far as the economic aspect of their early death concerns the Association. We suggest that our branch­­managers and organizers give serious consideration this side of the problem and make an all-out effort to increase the membership of the Verhovay. * * * THE PRIZES of the contest are in keeping with war-time condi­tions and, at the same time, serve to commemorate the number of the Founders of the Association. There is a prize for each Founder, 13 altogether. The first prize shall be a $100 series “E” War Bond. The second prize is a $75 series “E” War Bond. The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Prizes consist of a $50 series “E” War Bond each. The remaining seven prizes consist of $25 series “E” War Bonds. Thus by participating in the contest, our managers and organ­izers also aid the war effort. While working for the Associa­tion, you also help your country. Be sure to mark all applications WTitten in February with noting on its upper left hand corner: “Founders’ month contest.” BE SURE TO RUSH THE SENDING IN OF MEDICAL REPORTS, for applications, though written in February, cannot be considered for the contest if the medical re­ports arrive at the Home Office after the contest has been closed! We take this opportunity to invite all those good friends of ours who have not yet joined the Association, to join now in memory of those 13 humble miners who have founded the greatest brotherhood of American Hungarians which since has be­come a melting-pot of all nation­alities, in which more than half a hundred-thoasand members are united in the service of our coun­try and in the brotherhood of man.

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