864.00/10–845: Telegram
The Representative in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:30 p.m.]
726. Smallholders Party won substantial victory over common slate of Communist and Social Democratic Parties in Budapest municipal election yesterday. All observers agree that Russian troops behaved creditably and there was no evidence of intimidation or disturbances concluding that free election has been held.
According to latest report Smallholders elected 123 to Municipal Council; combined Labor parties 100; Citizens Democratic 12; Radical Party 3; National Peasant 2.2
Smallholders jubilant at sure rising [surprising] victory which exceeded their most optimistic estimation (my 2713, Oct 53). Undoubtedly many Socialists voted for Smallholders as protest against their party combining with Communists.
- Telegram 745, October 11 from Budapest, reported that of 587,629 votes cast in the Budapest municipal elections, the Smallholders Party received 295,197, the Communist and Social Democratic Parties together received 249,711, the Citizens Democratic Party received 22,392, the National Peasant Party 11,741 and the Hungarian Radical Party 5,031 (864.00/10–1145).↩
- Not printed; it reported that Smallholders and Peasant Party leaders had expressed appreciation to Schoenfeld for American readiness to establish diplomatic relations with Hungary and were agreed that the American action fostered self-confidence among previously intimidated voters and would markedly affect the outcome of the Budapest municipal elections (864.00/10–545).↩