Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Eastern Europe, The Soviet Union, Volume VI

864.00/12–1146: Telegram

The Minister in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State

secret
us urgent

Budapest, December 11, 1946—3 p.m.
[Received December 12—1:10 p.m.]

2292. Mytel 2281, December 9.¹³ In response to my query during call on Prime Minister this morning as to authenticity of rumors of forthcoming visit of President Tildy to Moscow Nagy told me these rumors lacked foundation. He said they would be put to rest by announcement to be issued on his recommendation of Tildy’s engagements at various places within Hungary during next few days. Prime Minister described rumors as tendentious and as having been put about for propaganda purposes.

Nagy explained spontaneously that following recent elections in Rumania and Bulgaria, Hungary is now only country in southeastern Europe under bourgeois regime which is correspondingly displeasing to USSR and its local partisans. His policy, which he took special care to say is shared by President Tildy, remains unchanged, namely, to preserve Hungary as democratic state as nearly as possible along present lines pending conclusion of peace treaty after which outside efforts to interfere in Hungarian domestic affairs would be more difficult since as Prime Minister hopes Hungary will then become member of United Nations and that forum will be available to Hungary in case of needs.

Prime Minister said there would, however, be some early changes in Government personnel which might give impression of further movement to Left.

Nagy said there had been no difficulty in his acceptance on behalf of Smallholders of Leftist bloc demands in economic field, this acceptance being embodied in resolution which is reported in my airgram 1656, December 12.¹⁴ In political field Prime Minister said Leftist demands involved further purge of Smallholders Party or alternatively a new national election and both these demands had been rejected. I surmise he had in mind his talk with Sviridov (mytel 2278, December 6¹⁵).

Nagy gave impression of being sure of himself and concluded by saying he hoped shortly to have further conversation with me on these matters. Meanwhile I do not doubt that Prime Minister’s firm opposition killed plan for Tildy visit to Moscow though he made no such suggestion to me.

Repeated Moscow as 306.

Schoenfeld

13. Not printed; Schoenfeld reported the persistent rumors that President Tildy would shortly travel to Moscow in order to determine to what extent Soviet authorities were behind Hungarian Communist pressures on the Nagy government. According to information reaching the Legation, Tildy was in favor of more concessions to the Communists while Nagy opposed concessions which would only be followed by new Communist demands. (864.00/12–946)
14. Not printed; it reported the substance of 10-point declaration by the Smallholders Party, issued on December 3, 1946 (864.00/12–1046).
15. The telegram under reference, which is not printed, mentioned that Prime Minister Nagy had had a personal interview with Sviridov on the evening of December 4, 1946 (864.5045/12–646).