864.01/560: Telegram
The Minister in Portugal (Norweb) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:34 p.m.]
1302. Wodianer has received following from Hungarian Minister in Bern, Bessenyei, dated April 26.
“Final plan of Envoys Committee is that Envoys and Mission Chiefs who rejected Sztojay Government form a committee regardless of date on which they took anti-Nazi stand. This committee would be rallying point of all anti-Nazi Hungarian diplomats, civil servants and patriots and would serve as an organization of information and consultation for the United States, Great Britain and the Allies generally regarding questions affecting Hungary. It will endeavor to organize military and civil resistance against German occupation. The committee aims to assist in the reestablishment of Hungary’s independence and sovereignty within the framework of constitutional democracy but it takes no position regarding domestic policy questions and does not represent any Hungarian political party. To insure concerted action Barcza agrees to act as coordinator of the Committee in Europe and Pelenyi will be invited to accept same task in America. American and British Ministers at Bern have submitted this plan to their respective Governments which have taken notice thereof.
While it is not intended to make formal announcement of the committee’s formation it would be useful to give it publicity in the local press as far as possible.”
An identical communication has been sent by Bern to Madrid and Stockholm also. Wodianer here and Ambro at Madrid have accepted the plan; and from Ullein’s last message to Wodianer (see Stockholm’s 1437, April 24, midnight, to the Department50) the latter assumes that both Ullein and the Hungarian Minister at Helsinki, now in Stockholm, will also be agreeable.
This mission has no indication regarding the Department’s views as to the proposed committee and the information reaching us from Bern and from Stockholm seems to conflict, in that according to Bern we and the British Government have “taken note of” the proposed committee of Envoys, while according to Ullein’s message to Wodianer, transmitted by Johnson, we and the British Government “have approved” Eckhardt’s leadership of a committee of Resistance. Accordingly, the Department’s instructions would be appreciated.
- Not printed.↩