Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
Pagfí 4 Verhovay Journal November 28, 1945 Verhovay Journal Journal of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Ass’n OFFICE OF PUBLICATION 8502 West Jefferson Ave. Detroit 17, Mich. PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY THE Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association Managing Editor: JOHN BENCZE Editor: COLOMAN REVESZ Editor’s Office: 345 FOURTH AVENUE ROOM 805 PITTSBURGH 22, PA. All articles and changes of address should be sent to the VERHOVAY FRATERNAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION 345 FOURTH AVENUE, PITTSBURGH 22, PA. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States and Canada _____________________$1.00 a year Foreign Countries ____________________________$1.50 a year ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: P. O. BOX 7, WOOLSEY STATION — LONG ISLAND CITY 5, N. Y. Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Detroit, Michigan under the Act of March 3, 1879. HIGHLIGHTS OF PENNSYLVANIA FRATERNAL CONGRESS CONVENTION, PITTSBURGH, NOVEMBER 13-14 The Annual Convention of the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress was held on Nov. 13-14, at the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. Some 150 delegates attended representing the fraternal societies licensed in the State of Pennsylvania. Preparations were started for the Convention many months ago when Mr. Frank B. Mallctt, President of the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress, appointed the various committees, each consisting of 10 to 12 members, whose task it was to study the various aspects of fraternal problems and present their findings, conclusions and suggestions to the Convention. The Convention banquet was held on November 13th, Tuesday, evening when the Convention delegates heard the guest of honor, the Insurance Commissioner of Pennsylvania who spoke of the RECONVERSION PROBLEMS OF FRATERNALISM. His address, however, had no reference to post-war reconversion. Fraternal life insurance business has its own reconversion problems which arose many years before the World War started. These problems were introduced by the modern era with its movies, automobiles and many varieties of entertainment that supplanted the social activities provided by the fraternal lodges. As a result, lodgeactivities decreased to a great extent, so much so that the supervision, formerly exercised by the branches, cannot be considered an efficient factor any more. Hence, it is to the benefit of fraternal societies that they are supervised by the Insurance Department. * y * The Verhovay received favorable publicity at the Convention. Ten portraits of heroic dead members, ready for presentation, were exhibited in the Convention-hall evoking great interest on part of ihe delegates. The new president-elect of the Fraternal Congress, Michael J. Vargovich, President of the First Catholic Slovak Union, a fraternal society with nearly a 100,000 members, speaking of the task of fraternal societies, said: “We, fraternalists, must do everything in our power to stand by our veterans to whom we are indebted to such an extent that we may never be able to repay them for what they have done for us. But we also must do something for those who have lost their most precious possessions, their sons, in this war. Something must be done for them, perhaps similar to what the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association does when presenting these bereaved families with the portraits of these heroes ...” Thus, the President-elect of the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress expressed his approval and admiration for this act of sympathy by which the Verhovay renders comfort to the widows and parents of those members who made the Supreme Sacrifice. The Verhovay was represented on the program, too. Supreme President John Bencze was the chairman of the Social Contact Committee and his report met with unanimous approval on part of the delegates. Last, but not least, the Verhovay again figured in the elections when Supreme Secretary Coloman Revesz was elected member of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress. No wonder that we left the Convention with a deep sense of satisfaction and gratification for we could see that the Verhovay has won the confidence of the American fraternal societies which are quick to recognize the value of the fraternal contributions of the Verhovay which serve to strengthen the position of fraternal societies in the world of life insurance business. BUY VICTORY BONDS Branch 503 Member Tells Plight of Displaced Magyars REPORTS AND FACTS . . . KAY FURY, a well known, popular member of Branch 503, Chicago, 111., an active member of the Ifjúsági Kör, serves with the American Red Cross in Europe. The readers of the Journal are well acquainted with her, too, for mention was made of her activities in several instances by our columnist Stephen Huzianyi who, as often as possible, included quotations from her letters in his reports. We have a letter before us which Kay Fury wrote to Branchmanager Frank Balogh. It is dated October 2, 1945, Riviera, France. It is a letter with a purpose. She describes in detail the life of the Displaced Personnel from Hungary . . . and concludes with an appeal in their behalf. It is an important document because it comes from an impartial observer who is lead by no other motives but sympathy and understanding. To be frank, we attach more significance to letters of this kind than to reports presented by all kinds of committees. Long experience with such reports led us to the conclusion that their writers, as a rule, are not impartial observers but rather special investigators who present those facts only which agree with their point of view while all other data contrary to their purposes are simply discarded. Since reporters, investigators and committees represent various schools of political and other thought, they are motivated by conflicting aims and, as a result, we read reports and stories in the daily press which are continually contradicting one another. The truth cannot be divulged unless the freedom of the press is assured but that freedom is not necessarily a guarantee that the full truth and nothing but the truth will be printed. Hence the American public, while enjoying the advantages of a free press, remains in the dark as far as many aspects of the truth are concerned. Much is made of the fact that commentators and committees not only gather but also analyse and digest the data presented by them to the American public. The truth is, however, that little is gained as far as ascertaining the truth is concerned, for predigestion of facts usually obscures rather than clarifies the truth. Analysis and digestion of facts are used mostly for propaganda purposes and propaganda is at the best, a onesided presentation of affairs. Personally, we are inclined to give most credence to intelligent eyewitnesses whose impartiality is assured by the fact that they have no particular leanings in reference to the matter reported by them. They are neither trained in the art of making propaganda, nor are they out to accuse or justify anyone according to the prefabricated views of the groups they represent. In that respect Kay Fury is an excellent reporter. She tells what she sees. She doesn’t analyse the facts which are presented by her without bias. Her letter is refreshing in its sincerity and shocking in its plain description of conditions. She doesn't strive to be sensational, nor does she make any attempt to blame anyone for the deplorable conditions of which she writes. She is a warm-hearted woman. War, to her, is a tragedy and its victims entitled to sympathy and assistance. She is a fraternalist and a sister of mercy who is interested in nothing but in helping suffering mankind. Indeed, she is one of the few people in the world who is where she should be which, in her case, is the American Red Cross. With all this in mind, we may be able to better understand her presentation of the plight of the forgotten victims of this war: the Displaced Personnel. Let’s read what she has to write about their fate. KAY FURY’S LETTER. “Dear Mr. Balogh: As a very active member of the Verhovay and a very ardent Hungarian, you will be interested in the fate of the Hungarian Displaced Personnel both in Germany and Austria, and I know you will not let this plea go unanswered. While I was stationed in Munich at the 98th General Hospital, I met several Hungarians who were working there. They invited me to their camp for a social visit. During that visit, 1 learned in what misery those people live. Their shelter consists of an old school building . . . no glass in the windows, no heat... which now houses 350 Displaced Persons. There are as many as 26 people in a 9 by 12 room. Not only do they have their bedding which consists of a pile of straw thrown on the ground, but all their earthly belongings, in this room. In other words: EVERYTHING they posses in this world. And you can imagine that isn’t much. You find all ages and sizes, ranging from 1 year up to about 75 years of age. Their food consists of wormy potatoes, black bread and ersatz coffee, when they get it. All D.P. male members at the age of 12 must find a job. However, the most a skilled employee earns is 40 marks or $4.00 per week. With this money they can buy absolutely nothing, because the German people are antagonistic toward all nationalities except their own. In the D.P. camp, there is absolutely no class distinction, the poor and lowly peasant sleeping next to a well educated person. I know of one case in particular . . . Hejja Magda and her husband Hejja Joseph: he is a graduate chemist and she an artist who formerly had her own factory. They both are well educated and were accustomed to having money and yet now they, too, are living in dirt and squalor and their only thought is to get food for their little boy who is 12 years old. If you could but see these people, you’d try everything in your power to help them. They are terrified of the cold winter which is facing them . . . no heat, no clothes, no proper food. Many of the very old know they won’t live through this winter and are resigned to this fact. I also talked to Dr. Gonczy Jeno, Director of the Hungarian Red Cross, who visited me. He is faced with the terrific problem of feeding and housing and clothing the Hungarians in Austria and Germany. He ho.s made a plea to practically every Red Cross and HAS BEÍN GIVEN THE COLD SHOULDER. THERE ARE AT PRESENT 500,-000 HUNGARIAN D.P.’s in Germany and Austria. For this number the French Red Cross sent 100 small parcels which is hardly enough. I am enclosing his card and on the back some of the items most needed. Anything you can send would certainly be appreciated. Money is of no value, because nothing can be purchased with it: however, old clothes, old shoes, children’s clothes, canned foods, sugar, coffee, and anything else you can send. The clothes should all be old. I KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE A PLEA TO THE HUNGARIANS IN CHICAGO AND THEY’LL COOPERATE TO THE NTH DEGREE. Many of them will remember the cold winter’s they spent over here and also remember the times when they Wished someone would lend a helping hand. Perhaps you are wondering WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING FOR THEM? THE ANSWER IS — NOTHING! The American Red Cross is here for the American boys and, therefore, I can do nothing for the Hungarians. As 1 said before, one cannot buy fpod here; in fact, you can’t buy anything. I don’t have enough clothes to give away; so ihe only thing I could give them was cigarettes, which I did. But even that supply was limited. The next best thing then was to write an appeal to the people in Chicago whom I always remember as being most generous. The American Red Cross does not approve of individual requests to people back home in their name; so this is really an unofficial plea, not as a Red Cross worker but as a Hungarian who has seen the trials and tribulations of her fellow countrymen and wants to do something about it. I know I won’t be dissappointed. Please, let me know what is being done. Thanks a lot! Kay Fury, ARC. Continental Headquarters, APO 887, c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.” A REPLY TO KAY FURY. Up to now we have heard a great deal about the plight of the people of Hungary but very little wos said about the masses who are scattered all over Europe. We thank you for writing of their plight and describing th« hardships of their homeless existence. We needed this information, for our attention was, up to this time, focused upon Hungary proper, and it is time that we remember the half a million Hungarians whose fate is, perhaps, even more miserable than that of the people who remained in Hungary, for the Displaced Personnel must face undescribable poverty in the midst of a hostile population. The American Hungarian Relief, Inc. has, up to this time, (Continued on Page 5)
