840.4016/12–1245: Telegram

The Ambassador in Czechoslovakia (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State

726. I have had a talk today with Dr. Slavik of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the absence of Masaryk in London and Clementis in Paris. Dr. Slavik, who was a member of the Czecho delegation during the visit of the Hungarian FonMin was present at all of the conferences. Slavik has very kindly furnished me with a detailed resume of the course of the negotiations with the Hungarian delegation including copies of the opening remarks of Clementis at the first meeting, the first Czecho proposal made prior to the discussions, the second Czecho proposal made at the conclusion of the discussions, the Hungarian proposals made at the conclusion of the discussions, and a statement by Clementis at the conclusion of the conference.61 These documents [Page 949] are being transmitted to the Department by the next airmail pouch.62 I have every reason to believe that they constitute a detailed factual report of the course of the negotiations to date.

In response to my inquiry Slavik estimated the total number of Hungarians expelled to date from Czecho as about 10,000 of whom he said not less than 9,000 were Hungarians, carpetbaggers who had arrived subsequent to 1938 for the sole purpose of enriching themselves as the result of Hungary’s seizure of Danubian Slovakia. He pointed out that under the stipulations of the armistice agreement signed in Moscow Hungary had specifically agreed to recall these carpet baggers but had failed to do so and that in consequence their expulsion was in accordance with the provisions of the armistice agreement. He said that when this point was raised in the course of the recent discussions in Prague Gyöngyösi had given as an excuse for his Government’s failure to recall the carpetbaggers unsatisfactory transport conditions and insufficent food and housing in Hungary.

Slavik said it was abundantly clear throughout the negotiations that the primary purpose of Gyöngyösi’s visit to Prague had been to explore the possibility of territorial concessions by Czecho to Hungary and that he had made no effort to conceal his objective.

Steinhardt
  1. For documentation regarding the Czechoslovak-Hungarian negotiations at Praha, December 3–Deeember 5, 1945, see Hungary and the Conference of Paris,. vol. ii, pp. 35–49.
  2. Transmitted to the Department in despatch 317, December 12, from Praha, none printed.