Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume IV

740.00119 Control (Hungary)/12–1844: Telegram

The Secretary of State to Mr. Alexander C. Kirk, United States Political Adviser to the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater, at Caserta ¹

Washington , January 10, 1945—9 p.m.

26. The Department has agreed to a proposal of the Soviet Government that tripartite discussions be resumed in Moscow with a view to reaching agreement on armistice terms² to be communicated to representatives of the “Provisional National Government of Hungary” recently formed at Debrecen.³ Although the United States Government has not yet recognized this group as the provisional government of Hungary, our participation in the presentation of Allied armistice terms to it would of course constitute acknowledgment of it as the de facto authority and would probably entail its recognition as a provisional government.

The status and functions of the American representation on the Control Commission for Hungary (reurtel 1803 December 18⁴) are now under discussion at Moscow. Major General Key⁵ (reurtel 34 January 4⁶) will head the American delegation on that body. Captain William F. Dietrich, who is now in Washington and expects to leave for Caserta about January 15, will be the ranking American naval officer in the delegation.

As in Rumania and Bulgaria it is expected that our political representation will be set up independently of the Control Commission (Reurtel 1803 December 18). Mr. H. F. Arthur Schoenfeld has been appointed to head our political mission, with the personal rank of Minister. Moscow has been instructed to inform the Soviet Government of Schoenfeld’s appointment. He is now in the Department and will proceed to Italy within a few weeks.

Schoenfeld will probably have on his staff a senior officer of the rank of Counselor, who has not yet been named. According to present plans, the staff will include several persons now in or en route to Italy, namely Merrill,⁷ Leslie A. Squires (Foreign Service Officer transferred from Istanbul where he did reporting on Hungarian affairs), Miss Patricia Foster (Vice Consul, Foreign Service Auxiliary), and John J. Ronto (clerk).

L. Ecker-Racz, Foreign Service Auxiliary Officer and a former employee of the Treasury Department recently released from the Army, will do economic work in Hungary. He is now in the Department and will leave soon for Italy. Harry LeBovit has just been assigned to Rome (Department’s airgram A–31, December 29, 5 p.m., to American Consul, Rome⁸) as Agricultural Economist in the Foreign Service Auxiliary, for later assignment to Budapest.

Stettinius

1. Mr. Kirk was also Ambassador in Italy.
2. The agreement concerning an armistice between the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States on the one hand and Hungary on the other was signed in Moscow on January 20, 1945. For text of the agreement, see Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 456, or 59 Stat. (pt. 2) 1304. For documentation regarding the negotiations leading to the signing of the agreement, see Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. iii, pp. 847 ff.
3. The Provisional National Government was elected by the Provisional Hungarian National Assembly on December 22, 1944, at Debrecen in Soviet-occupied Hungary.
4. Not printed.

5. Maj. Gen. William S. Key, Chief of the United States Military Representation on the Allied Control Commission for Hungary, who arrived in Debrecen on February 18, 1945. General Key’s letter of instructions, dated December 30, 1944, reads in part as follows:

   • “4. The task of the Allied Control Commission will be the regulation and control, under the general direction of the Soviet High Command, acting on behalf of the Allied Powers, of the fulfillment of the Armistice with Hungary. Your duties and responsibilities in this connection will be conducted in accordance with policies communicated to you from time to time by the Chief of Staff, acting in an executive capacity for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
   • “5. The composition of the United States representation on the Control Commission, in addition to yourself, will be two Army Officers in the grade of Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel (one of the two to be from the Army Air Forces), and one Naval Officer in the grade of Captain or Commander; who will be appointed by the War and Navy Departments.
   • “6. You will work in close cooperation, by frequent consultation and interchange of information, with the United States Representative for Hungary. The United States policy in regard to Hungary will be enunciated by the State Department from time to time and will be communicated to the United States Representative. Your functions on the Allied Control Commission will be subject to the supervision of the United States Representative insofar as they concern political matters, as distinguished from those matters primarily military, affecting United States foreign policy.” (Budapest Legation File: 711.9 Allied Control Commission)

6. Not printed.
7. Frederick T. Merrill, Auxiliary Foreign Service Officer, on the staff of Mr. Kirk.
8. Not printed.