864.00/5–2546: Telegram
The Minister in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
urgent
[Received May 30—6:10 a.m.]
977. Mytel 631, April 3. I called on President Tildy yesterday at his request. He said that some weeks ago he had received report from Hungarian Legation Washington stating that concern had been expressed in Dept regarding political trend in Hungary and expulsion of dissident Smallholders deputies from party. Dept reported as having deprecated weakness shown by majority party in yielding to Leftist pressure notwithstanding mandate received at November election. Tildy explained expulsion of dissidents was tactical move designated to postpone open breach among parties of coalition but did not change fundamental purpose to carry out popular will as expressed in election. He mentioned that only 2 out of the 20 Deputies expelled had been long standing members of Smallholders Party, the others being opportunists who had recently joined party. In these circumstances Tildy felt our Govt may not have been adequately informed of situation [Page 300] which he desired to clarify. It remained determined purpose of majority party in accordance with overwhelming wish of Hungarian people to preserve political and economic independence of Hungary and firmly to resist Communist encroachment in internal affairs. This purpose had very lately found expression in decision of Smallholders to insist on recovering control of police establishment (mytel 975, May 247) and other measures and would be maintained even to point of major internal conflict subject always to actual imposition by USSR of enforced Sovietization of this country. Manifestly latter could not be resisted if Soviet Union were bent upon such policy.
Tildy said report from Legation Washington above mentioned also alluded to suggestion that if developments in Hungary so required appeal to international agencies presumably meaning United Nations was always available. President said this suggestion likewise seemed to be basis of misapprehension of local situation. It was firm intention here to resist.
- Not printed; it reported that on May 21 the Smallholders Party had delivered a written ultimatum to other parties in the Government coalition, aimed particularly at the Communists, demanding that arrangements be made immediately to hold municipal elections in the provinces, that 50 percent of the police activities in the Ministry of Interior be given to the Smallholders Party, and that arbitrary action by the political police be halted (864.00/5–2446).↩