864.00/3–2946: Telegram
The Minister in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 30—10:35 p.m.]
607. Balogh,54 on Mindszenty’s55 initiative, had consultation with Primate March 24 at Esztergom. Balogh told us today he spent vain hour attempting to convince Primate he should take more cooperative line with the Hungarian democracy. Specifically he asked Primate to make statement to press regarding his trip to Rome, suggesting he might also take note of difficulties Hungarian democracy faced while pledging help of Catholic Church. Primate was obdurate and refused to consider any conciliatory measures. Balogh says Primate is doing Catholic Church immense harm since all priests are prima facie now being branded reactionaries. He says Primate is stubborn, has small intellect, basically uncultured and surrounds himself with narrow, provincial priests and a few former aristocrat landowners, who are offering him bad advice. For example, he says Primate is convinced Americans will soon use atom bomb to drive Soviets out of Hungary.
Primate requested right to publish newspaper to give Catholics political expression, adding this would make unnecessary further pastoral letters on political subjects. Balogh says Government might give franchise to Barankovics56 but never to Mindszenty. Barankovics, who is leader of acknowledged Catholic Party in assembly (my telegram 675, October 157), will also try to influence Primate to cease political attacks against Communists, which according to Balogh, Primate has no intention now of doing. Janossy, who supports Barankovics, is in open break with Primate. Janossy says Cardinal’s trip to Rome was not success and that Pope in private audience expressed disapproval Mindszenty’s interference in Hungarian politics. (My telegram 5045 December 2157). It is understood, however, [Page 275] Cardinal brought back substantial amount of American currency with him.
If the coalition could be sure of silencing Mindszenty by giving Catholics political expression through newspaper of Barankovics–Janossy faction, it might withdraw its long standing objections to a Catholic political paper.
Sent Department repeated Rome for Gowen58 as 31 and London for Dunn59 as 153.
- István Balogh, Under Secretary of State to the Hungarian Prime Minister.↩
- Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty, Prince Primate of Hungary, Archbishop of Esztergom.↩
- István Barankovics, Leader of the Hungarian Democratic Peoples Party.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Franklin C. Gowen, Assistant to the Personal Representative of President Truman to Pope Pius XII.↩
- James C. Dunn, Assistant Secretary of State; serving as the Deputy of the Secretary of State at the Council of Foreign Ministers in London.↩