Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Paris Peace Conference: Proceedings, Volume III

Moscow Embassy Files

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Matthews)

secret

Paris, August 19, 1946.

Participants:	Mr. Gyöngyössi, Hungarian Foreign Minister;
	Mr. Szegedy Maszák
	The Secretary;
	Mr. Matthews

The Hungarian Foreign Minister paid a courtesy call on the Secretary and expressed his appreciation for what the United States was doing for Hungary. The Secretary explained in some detail the snag which we had run into in the matter of restituting Hungarian property from the American Zone of Germany. He explained that a quadripartite decision of the Allied Control Council at Berlin prevented any unilateral restitution to any country which was not a United Nation. He explained that on June 25 the American representative on the Control Council had urged that there be agreement for restitution to Hungary and certain other countries, but that so far the other members of the Control Council had not granted approval.²⁷ In this connection he read a recent letter from Ambassador Murphy to Mr. Reber as well as a telegram from Vienna indicating progress being made in restitution from our zone in Austria.²⁸ The Secretary also promised that we would press for Four-Power agreement at Berlin at the next Control Council meeting, and that, if agreement is not soon forthcoming, we would make public our position. (After the meeting Mr. Reber telephoned Mr. Murphy and gave the Secretary’s instructions to that effect. The next Control Council meeting takes place August 20.)

Mr. Gyöngyössi then expressed the hope that Hungary would have a full opportunity of presenting her views on the Peace Treaty in the Commission but had noted with some dismay that her comments on the Treaty must be in by tomorrow night. The Secretary explained that this did not mean that that would be the final opportunity for Hungary to comment on the Treaty, but that he expected the Committee would continue to consult with the Hungarian Delegation on disputed points and that every opportunity would be given for the presentation of Hungarian views. Mr. Gyöngyössi said they were likewise somewhat disappointed to know that a Czech had been chosen as Rapporteur for the Hungarian Political and Territorial Commission in view of the fact that the Czechs have some claims against Hungary. The Secretary pointed out that the United States attached little importance to the office of Rapporteur or, for that matter, the office of Commission Chairman, pointing out that the views of the Commission members would be reported to the full Conference and that the Rapporteur would have no scope of action to alter these views. Mr. Szegedy Maszák explained that it was largely the psychological effect in Hungary which worried them a little, but he said he did not wish to exaggerate the importance of the matter.

There was a final point on which Mr. Gyöngyössi asked advice. He said that the Hungarian Delegation had been called upon to present views with respect to the Draft Treaty text. That text contains no provision providing for Hungarian acceptance of any minority groups expelled from Czechoslovakia. However, from the press and elsewhere, it was quite clear that Czechoslovakia was going to press for such a provision in the Treaty. He wanted to know whether the Hungarian views on the Treaty should attempt to answer this point which the Czechs are sure to raise. The Secretary said that to his mind it was never advisable to look for trouble, and that he would omit reference to the Czech position on minorities. On the other hand, the Hungarians might put a statement in their paper to the effect that if additional provisions were proposed for inclusion in the Treaty, they hoped that they would be given full opportunity to reply to those provisions as well.²⁹ Mr. Gyöngyössi seemed to think this: was a good idea and took his departure.

27. For substance of the Joint Chiefs of Staff directive to Commanders of United States Zones of Germany and Austria regarding restitution to Italy, Hungary, Rumania, and Finland, see circular telegram of March 16, 1946, vol. v, p. 525.
28. Neither printed.
29. For Observations on the Draft Peace Treaty with Hungary by the Hungarian Government, C.P. (Gen) Doc. 5, August 26, see vol. iv, p. 249.