661.6431/12–2145: Telegram
The Representative in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 23—1:40 p.m.]
1138. When handing me note quoted in mytel 1135 today ForMin said Hungarian Government’s decision to proceed with ratification of Soviet Hungarian economic collaboration agreement was designed to meet wishes of USSR for removal of an obstacle in Hungarian Soviet relations which had somewhat “chilled” those relations. Hungarian Government had received assurances from Soviet Minister here that ratification would clear the way for active assistance by USSR in present economic distress. To my inquiry whether Soviet Minister had indicated what form Soviet assistance would take for rehabilitation of Hungary ForMin replied these assurances were thus far only on the political level and had not been accompanied by any offer of study or recommendation of concrete measures on part of Soviet economic experts. Hungarian economists he said remain very skeptical that Soviet technical assistance can produce desired results. There was no reason to believe Soviet economists and other experts had even approached the problem of Hungarian rehabilitation.
Gyöngyösi intimated definitely that Soviet Government does not favor any effort to bring about tripartite examination of Hungarian economic situation with view to remedial action.
Sent Department repeated to London as 76 and to Moscow as 147.
[During the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers, December 16–26, 1945, agreement was reached by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union with respect to the procedures to be followed in preparing peace treaties with Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Finland. During the Conference, the situation within Hungary was also discussed, particularly at the meeting of the Foreign Ministers on December 22 at noon and the meeting between Secretary Byrnes and Generalissimo Stalin on December 23 at 5 p.m. For documentation regarding the Conference, see volume II, pages 560 ff. For the Report of the Conference of the Foreign Ministers, issued as a communiqué on December 27, 1945, see telegram 4284, December 27 from Moscow, ibid., page 815.]