764.71/189: Telegram
The Minister in Hungary (Montgomery) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:48 a.m.]
26. The Prime Minister86 told me last evening that with the idea of forestalling any possible difficulties in Rumania, he called to Budapest all of the various Hungarian leaders of Transylvania to impress upon them the importance of remaining quiet and told them positively that Hungary has no intention of taking advantage of any Russian attack on Rumania nor contrarywise making any attack to give the Russians an opportunity. He says that Hungary realizes that it cannot withstand a German attack in force but under no circumstances will they consent to Germany going through Hungary to Rumania or to enter Hungarian soil for any purpose no matter how futile resistance may be. He considers the situation in Germany serious and believes that some move must be made in March or April. He does not exclude the possibility of an attack on Hungary or Rumania.
Count Teleki considers the results of the Finnish struggle to have an important psychological effect on the Germans and hopes that all possible help will be given Finland, especially airplanes; that if Finland can hold out until next fall the Ribbentrop group which had promised great things from Russia would be considerably weakened and the conservative element might then be in a position to make peace. Hungary is sending half a battalion of picked troops to Finland via France and England. First troops to sail from Hull by Finnish boat early in February and another half a battalion will follow later.
- Count Paul Teleki.↩