Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
PAGE 2 Verhovay Journal _______________I___________________ May as, 194? Hungary’s First Lady In Pittsburgh (Continued from page 1) Reception at Verhovay Mme. Tildy and her entourage arrived at the Home Office at half past five. Of course, nobody quit at five o’clock on that day and so Hungary’s charming ambassador was received by the entire staff. Led around by the Supreme Officers, she stopped in every room, chatted with the employees and admired our home. Later on, the company walked down to Klein’s Hungarian Restaurant where a dinner was given in honor of Mme. Tildy by the Verhovay. Returning to the Home Office preparations were made for the departure to the Hungarian Verhovay Home in Hazelwood where a bread and water banquet was scheduled to b.e held at 8 o’clock, for the benefit of the American Hungarian Relief, Inc. — Like usually, when we have an affair for the reliefmovement in Pittsburgh, it poured . . . With Her Own Folk . . . Hungary’s First Lady mention* ed on several occasions that she would like to meet and spend some time with the Hungarian people . . . Not only the leaders but the “little folk” who are nearest to her heart. The tokenbanquet in Hazelwood afforded am opportunity to meet her desire. In spite of the downpour, the large hall was jammed. While waiting for Mme. Tildy, and throughout the program Horvath Guszti’s gypsy orchestra played Hungarian tunes. Incidentally, Guszti’s band offered their services free of charge for this occasion' and they played sweeter than ever. Then the curtain went up and the audience arose greeting Mme. Tildy with a tremendous ovation. Affectionately smiling she acknowledged the demonstration patiently waiting for it to end. Then Prank Demes, Pittsburgh’s most popular Hungarian singer, stepped up to the microphone and accompanied by Horvath Guszti’s orchestra and the entire audience, sang the National Anthem. Supreme Secretary Coloman Revesz took over as Master of Ceremonies and welcoming Hungary’s First Lady in a most moving manner he introduced Supreme President John Bencze who, in behalf of Verhovay’s national membership and the Americans of Western Pennsylvania, greeted Mme. Tildy, assuring her of the great love of American Hungarians for their long suffering kin in war-torn Hungary. He was followed by Mr .Ignacz Lengyel,- chairman of Chapter 2 of the American Hungarian Relief, Inc., and President of the United Magyar Civic Association of Western Pennsylvania. He pledged the continued support of Americans of Hungarian descent to the Hungarian nation asserting that “we had been sent by God to America in order that we may be able to help our people in their darkest hour.” Frank Demes, accompnied by his sister, Goldie Demes, rendered three popular Hungarian songs and was given tremendous applause in which, visibly moved, Mme. Tildy joined the enthusiastic audience. Supreme Secretary Coloman Revesz introduced Dr. Victor Hungary’s First Lady At The Mayor’s Office Mme. Tildy and Hon. David Lawrence, Mayor of Pittsburgh are shown on this picture taken at a reception held in honor of Hungary’s First Lady at the Mayor’s office. Mme. Tildy’s entourage, Verhovay’s Supreme Officers and many others attended, but, somehow, escaped the photographer’s lense. Stephen Borsody, Counsel of the Hungarian Legation, Washington, D. C., editor Rettman, Mrs. "Andrew Buck, Secretary of the McKeesport, Pa., Hungarian Grand Committee, and Mr. Andrew Fay-Fisher, editor of th'e Hungarian Miners’ Journal and a member of the Szabadság’s staff. — did not escape. Chornoky, former counsel of the Hungarian Legation who resigned a promising diplomatic career to accept his election to the Hungarian parliament because he felt that as a newspaper editor and a member of the legislature he may be able to better serve the Hungarian nation than by representing his country’s interests in our land. Dr. Chornoky was one of the first representatives of Hungary to come to America since the conclusion of the war and his return, a year later, to Hungary was deeply regretted by Americans of Hungarian descent who learned to respect him for the sincerity and frankness with which he explained Hungary’s situation at innumerable meetings and conferences held throughout the country. Mme. Tildy was visibly pleased with the warm reception accorded to her son-in-law who declared that during the year of his absence Hungary has made marvellous progress. “It is to be regretted”, he said, “that very little dependable information is rendered about Hungary. The truth is, that there is a Hungary and there will be a Hungary. The people work hard and of their work something is born of which we believe that it will be much better than what we had before. A happy country of independent, free people is emerging from the tragedy.” The Master of Ceremonies, then, introduced Stephen Borsody and Dr. Endre Sik, Counsels of the Hungarian Legation. A vocal solo by attractive Miss Irene Takács of McKeesport, Pa., followed. A Mothers’ Day Gift . . . “Last Sunday wp observed Mothers’ Day,” said the Supreme Secretary, “and our thoughts turned to our mothers who had endured the sufferings of these last years in the old country. We, in America, always were ready to help those we had left behind. We always have given them bui we never have received anything in return. On the Mothers’ Day of 1947, however, the old country remembered us with a most precious gift, for that is what the arrival of Mme. Zoltán Tildy, Hungary’s First Lady, means to us. She came to bring us the message of a nation that has gone through undescribable sufferings that cannot be compared even with those endured by Hungary when overrun by the Tatars and Turks. It is my great privilege to call upon Mme. Tildy to bring us the message of the Hungarian people.” Again the audience arose thunderingly applauding Hungary’s First Lady who stepping to the microphone waited until the tense silence of expectation came. Then she began to speak. She didn’t lecture, she didn’t preach, she didn’t ‘deliver’ a message. She just talked as a women to friends, a sister to her family. She talked for a full hour, yet she held the entire audience spellbound. Her way of talking has an undescribable quality of moving simplicity and sincerity. Yet, she is a grand master of projecting her mood into the hearts of her listeners. She had everyone in her sway. Her sadness brought tears to the eyes and her gladness made everyone smile. Her strength made us proud, her certainty of success gave us comfort. Accompanied by the rolling of a protracted thunderstorm she unfolded the panorama of life in Hungary . . . She didn’t talk politics. She described Life. Life with its Stark tragedies, horrors, anxieties, despairs, Life with its renewed hopes, Life in its struggle for survival . . . The Life of a nation determined to build a better and happier world upon the ruins of a ravaged country . . . j She opened her heart and the hearts were opened to her. It was a magnificent experience. Encouraging, uplifting, inspiring and i convincing. And those who heard her — believe" her . . .. A digest of her address is pub- j lished under separate title in this issue. We urge our readers to read it. It is an important message and more than that: it is a revelation. It should reach the hearts of alb Americans of Hungarian descent of whom only a fraction will be able to hear her. Of the tens of thousands of Ame rican Hungarians in the FTfisburgh area only about four hundred had the privilege of attending that token-banquet. But When chose four hundred arose at the Conclusion of Mme. Tildy’s address, one could fell that the applause accorded to her had a deeper meaning than that of mere success. That applause sounded like a solemn pledge that we shall not forsake the Hungarian people in their heroic struggle for a democratic future. It was a promise to help saving those 100.000 Hungarian orphans whose fate was put in Our hands on that evening by Hungary’s First Lady. That applause sounded like an enthusiastic demonstration of unreserved confidence in Hungary’s President, his brillant wife and those leaders of the Hungarian nation who work for the freedom of their country. Somehow, everyone seemed to feel that mere applause could never fully express those powerful sentiments aroused by Mme. Tildy’s address. The ovations, the five hundred dollars contributed to the Hungarian Relief movement on that evening, were merely tokens of far-reaching actions to follow. Indeed, if the Hungarian Relief movement does not produce incomparably greater results in localities visited by Hungary’s First Lady, it will be the fault of only those who will not have heard her message from the Hungarian nation. For those, who heard her, are determined to act — immediately end with the highest degree of unselfishness and generosity — in behalf of the Hungarian people whose appreciation of everything done by us up to this time has been so nobly expressed by Mme. Tildy, the type of the Hungarian Mother, the Hungarian wife and the Hungarian patriot . . . Roses, Gifts and Pledges. Following Mme. Tildy’s unforgettable message, Miss Vilma Balogh, a Bradcjpck, Pa., school teacher, member of Chapter 117 of the American Hungarian Releif Inc., presented a gorgeous bouquet of roses to Hungary’s First Lady. Mrs. Andrew Buck, secretary of the McKeesport, Pa., Grand-Committee, followed up with a beautiful corsage. John Elek, chairman of the Homestead, Pa., relief-chapter, a delegation of the Hungarians in Coraopolis and others presented donations toward the relief-movement. The Master of Ceremonies introduced finally as the last speaker of the evening attorney Gay Banyacsky-Banes Resident of Chapter 117 of the American Hungarian Relief, Inc. “We Stand Humble . . “This has been a momentous occasion in American Hungárián history,” said Mr. Banes. “It marks the awakening of a cohesive force operating to unite our American Hungarians. It marks the strengthening of ties which had been dangling so long in our colonies over the face of this great nation. All this stems from the recently found feeling that we are here permanently, that the dream which our parents had of returning to the land of their birth may have been -beautiful in its conception but was founded in a lack of confidence in this country which became the birthplace of their children, of us, the second, third and even fourth generation.” “We stand humble before the great cause which brought You, Mme. Tildy, among us. Your address has been inspiring, yet sobering. Now that we are witnessing the aftermath of a great world catastrophe, we wonder which are the most fortunate, the living or the dead.' It is easy for us to understand physical pain. But whén you speak of the pangs of hunger which cannot be satisfied, of the barefooted and unclothed, then we face things which are hardly conceivable in this great land. But we are trying to understand your message and we want it 'to inspire our fellowmen. It brings us a hope renewed that the land of our fathers has not died, that the spark has been rekindled and is bursting- to a bright flame lighting the path to liberty and freedom of those whom we still call our brothers, so that the world may see a nation which has an overpowering desire for freedom and the democratic way of life as we know it, living in peace and free from economic want and political servitude.” “Chapter 117 composed principally of Americans of Hungarian descent was organized last fall as the first youth unit to undertake relief-work. It has been gratifying to us as well as our elders that we have found support in this vital work. We have achieved some measure of success and hope to achieve even more in the future. On behalf of our organization I desire at this time to thank the Verhovay and its officers for their unstinted cooperation, providing headquarters and office equipment without which little could have been done.” “May God give us strength and power to continue this vital work. May He reveal His light to those of our young people who are not yet engaged in our work in order that they, too, may come within the fold, helping us, with God’s help to attain success for the benefit of our unfortunate brothers in the old country.’ ’ The program ended at 11 o’clock with the singing of the Hungarian National Anthem . . . Departure. Next morning Mme. Tildy and her entourage left for Milwaukee. (Continued on page 3)
