740.0011 European War 1939/15701
The Minister in Hungary (Pell) to President Roosevelt
Dear Mr. President: The war between Russia and Germany broke out yesterday to the great joy of many Hungarians, who would like to see them cut each others throats. They hope to see the Russians beaten and the Germans bogged in and destroyed. It seems as likely a hope as any other. As the Russians will almost certainly destroy all crops on their retreat and the Germans will not hesitate to impound a great part of the foodstuffs of all the neighboring countries, there is a very good prospect of considerable hunger during the coming winter [Page 318] in places like Hungary. The prospect of the crops here is very bad; although this is normally an exporting country, it will probably not produce as much as the average domestic consumption. With the Germans helping themselves liberally there will necessarily be a good deal of hardship.
Most of the upper-class Hungarians, who hate the immediate menace, are frankly delighted at the prospect of American aeroplanes being sent to England for the bombing of Germany. Battleships not being able to get up the Danube, they have no fear of British domination.
It has been suggested that one of the causes of the war was the success of the Russian propaganda in Germany during the short period of Nazi Bolshevik friendship.
I hope to get off on a tour of the country for a few days in the near future, as I do not believe in a Minister spending all his time in the Capital and knowing nothing of the outlying districts. It may be difficult to work this in, but I shall try to do so.
You are to be congratulated on the way you have handled the situation. I see no reason why your course of armed neutrality should not continue. Although England has not been beaten by the air attack, I believe that Germany would collapse if as much pressure could be put on it as has been put on England.
We are having a great deal of trouble with the American citizens anxious to return to the United States. The Germans are making it most difficult to get visas to cross Germany; apparently, partly from a planned desire to be offensive and partly because of the inefficiency of an improperly coordinated government. Even on the continent of Europe their diplomats know nothing of general conditions. For example, when I left Lisbon the German Minister did not know that I would be in any difficulty crossing Germany in a car. Here, they are the same way.
Our own great lack is of American news. Except what is passed through German propaganda, we know nothing of what is happening in the United States until the arrival of the New York Times from six to ten weeks late. I think that we should be provided with a couple of competent radio men and apparatus which could take down for us the news reports as they come from America. This would not only be a personal pleasure, but would very much add to the importance and the efficiency of the Legation here. For example, I have no way of knowing the number and quality of aeroplanes sent to England, which is a subject about which accurate information would be of the greatest value to us in our efforts to encourage a large portion of the Hungarians, who value both their independence and their skins.
Please give our best to Mrs. Roosevelt and to your mother, and, should you see him, to our old friend Ed Perkins, who admires you [Page 319] greatly. I think it would be worth while ringing him up when you get to Hyde Park.
I am
Respectfully,