840.4016/12–1545: Telegram
The American Representative in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 19—3:40 p.m.]
1104. Mytel 1021, December 4. ForMin called today to point out that Hungarian Government is in quandary regarding number of Germans to be deported from Hungary. He said if Germans are to be treated as a nationality the figure of 500,000 used by Allied Council Berlin as basis for directive to ACC here and transmitted to Hungarian Government regarding deportations would be more nearly correct than if criterion adopted by Hungarian Government were used that only Germans coming within objectionable categories would be deported. In latter case Hungarian Government’s figure of not more than 300,000 would cover numbers to be expelled.
ForMin asked whether nationality principle was to be applied or whether Hungarian Government principle would be used. I told ForMin that this seemed to be matter which had not yet been categorically presented for decision and it might be desirable for him to formulate the issue in written communication which he proposed to do. I intimated personal opinion, however, that in as much as no exception has been taken in Hungarian Government’s repeated official communications outlining principles to be applied in expulsion of Germans from Hungary and since these principles seem to be in harmony with US Government’s view of individual and not collective liability as repeatedly expressed in official communications to Hungarian Government among others I had assumed the 500,000 figure for Germans to be expelled from Hungary was merely due to confusion at Berlin. If US Government has changed its view and has accepted principle that Germans are to be expelled from Hungary without regard to their individual merits it would be desirable to have clear ruling on this point.
There is impression in official circles here that Soviet pressure is exerted for larger figure because vacuum so created would facilitate expulsion of all Hungarians from Slovakia.
Sent Department, repeated Moscow as 134, London as 71 and USPolAd Berlin as 27.