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

864.00/1–847

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

confidential
No. 2406

Budapest, January 8, 1947.
[Received January 24, 1947.]

Sir: With reference to my despatch No. 1504 of May 22, 1946²⁰ I have the honor to transmit herewith copies of two letters received from Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty, Prince Primate of Hungary, together with my acknowledgment of and reply to these letters, dated December 27, 1946.

The first of the Cardinal’s letters, dated December 12, 1946,²¹ is a vigorous protest against the operation of the Hungarian civil service retrenchment program, commonly known as the ‘B” list (see my despatch No. 2336, December 16, 1946²¹). It will be noted that this letter concludes with the statement that this Legation’s “interference is exceedingly urgent”.

The Cardinal’s second letter, dated December 16, 1946,^21a contains detailed observations on the general situation in Hungary with particular reference to political affairs, and concludes by asking the help of England and the United States “defenders of freedom and justice”, in stopping the “immense pressure and corruption”. The Cardinal adds that with the help of England and the United States “it would be possible to find a way to solve these problems” and that he himself “should be able to offer advices too”.

Apart from the risk to which Cardinal Mindszenty has subjected himself in writing these letters, I consider that they provide adequate evidence of the Prince Primate’s misunderstanding of diplomatic functions and practices. In this connection an informed Hungarian layman with a close interest in Church affairs has recently stated to members of my staff that in his opinion Cardinal Mindszenty, notwithstanding his courageous qualities, has predicated his policy on the bases of an outbreak of hostilities between the Soviet Union and the Western Powers in the foreseeable future and that accordingly he desires to conduct himself during the interim period in such a manner as to leave no doubt to future historians as to which side the Catholic Church in Hungary favored, even though this might involve martyrdom for the Cardinal himself. The Cardinal’s own statements to members of my staff from time to time have seemed to support this analysis, and while the Cardinal’s intransigence on principles can be readily appreciated, it does not appear proper that the record for posterity of this intransigence should be in any way based on a misconception of the United States’ role in Hungary at this time or a misunderstanding as to the actual position of the United States Legation in Hungary. For this reason it has seemed desirable to correct the Cardinal’s misapprehensions in this respect in my letter to him of December 27.²²

Respectfully yours,

H. F. Arthur Schoenfeld

[Enclosure]

The Minister in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty, Prince Primate of Hungary

Budapest, December 27, 1946.

Your Eminence: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of November 22,²³ concerning certain actions taken by the Czechoslovak Government affecting the Hungarian minority in Slovakia, as well as your letter of December 12, concerning the program for retrenchment of the Hungarian civil service, and your letter of December 16 containing observations on general matters of political interest in Hungary at the present time.

Copies of your letters have been forwarded to the Department of State.

It is noted that your letters of December 12 and December 16, touching on internal political problems of Hungary, requested the assistance of the United States Government in altering certain conditions which Your Eminence deplores. In this connection you are of course aware of my Government’s long standing policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations. This policy has proven over a long period of time and through many trying situations the best guarantee of spontaneous, vigorous and genuine democratic development. It will be clear to Your Eminence that it necessarily precludes action by this Legation which could properly be construed as interference in Hungarian domestic affairs or which lies outside the normal functions of diplomatic missions.

I should like to take this opportunity to assure Your Eminence that I shall continue to welcome the expression of your views on any matters to which you may desire to draw my attention.

In conveying to Your Eminence my best wishes for the holiday season, I take the opportunity to renew the assurances of my highest consideration.

H. F. Arthur Schoenfeld

20. Not printed; it transmitted the text of a letter from Cardinal Mindszenty, dated May 3, 1946, protesting against the activities of Soviet occupation troops in Hungary (740.00119 Control (Hungary)/5–2246).
21. Not printed.
21. Not printed.
22. Not printed.
22. Printed as enclosure to this despatch.
23. Not printed; for information regarding the alleged forced deportation of Hungarians to the Sudetenland and Cardinal Mindszenty’s appeal for help for the Hungarians being deported from Slovakia, see footnote 49, p. 370.