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

840.4016/12–346: Telegram

The Ambassador in Czechoslovakia (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State

secret
us urgent

Praha, December 3, 1946—3 p.m.
[Received 8:15 p.m.]

1955. Dept’s 1424, November 27.⁴⁹ I have discussed with Foreign Office specific instances of alleged inhumane treatment of ethnic Hungarians in areas along Slovak frontier cumulatively reported by AP, by Hungarian Legation to Dept and in an appeal to Cardinal Spellman.

Foreign Office, as result of an exhaustive investigation carried out over weekend by its own officials, has today informed me that:

(a) Ferenc Sindler was not killed in village of Gutor by Slovak soldiers (he was shot in head and killed by Hungarian frontier guards while endeavoring to cross Danube in boat from Slovak to Hungarian side);

(b) Investigation disclosed that Juliana Barath, alleged to have been severely wounded, and Janos Barath, alleged to have been bound with wire, have never resided in village of Gutor. No record exists in community of these two individuals;

(c) As to alleged deportation of Lajos Sator, 72 years, “and wife 70 years”, investigation disclosed that Lajor Sator, who is correctly reported as 72 years of age and who resides in Gutor, has been a widower for 4 years. He has not been deported and has not been enrolled for transfer to Bohemia and is at present residing undisturbed in Gutor;

(d) As to the general allegation that expectant mothers were removed in freight cars and specific charges that Mrs. Janos Barina was so removed and gave birth to a still-born child on train, investigation disclosed that Mrs. Janos Rabina (not Barina) who was in advanced state of pregnancy, was taken by motor ambulance to state hospital at Bratislava where on November 20 she gave birth to a male child at provincial clinic. The Rabina family has not been enrolled for transfer to Bohemia and are at present residing undisturbed in village of Gutor;

(e) As to allegation that Peter Laszlo and his two sons and Jozsef Sebestyen and infant were deported, investigation disclosed that these two individuals sought and obtained special permission of Slovak authorities to move to Bohemia with their families;

(f) Erzebet Szijgyarto is a young girl 16, not 9 years of age, is unmarried and has not been deported and continues to reside undisturbed in Szemet.

Insofar as concerns the 2,826 individuals who are ethnically Hungarian who have been sent from Slovakia to Bohemia along with over 100,000 Slovaks to relieve manpower shortage and pursuant to general presidential decree requiring all citizens of Czechoslovak Republic between certain ages to be gainfully employed, Ministry Foreign Affairs has in its possession a considerable number of original letters which have been received in Gutor and Szemet from ethnic Hungarians now in Bohemia praising working and living conditions there.

Foreign Office has further informed me that as to ethnic Hungarians who have been sent to Bohemia to relieve manpower shortage there, families have in no case been separated, transfers have been conducted in “decent and humane manner devoid of violence” and individuals’ property has not been confiscated, individuals being free to send their movable property to Bohemia if they so desire. Foreign Office further states that incidents referred to in statement released by Minister Information and reported in Embtel 1954 December 2⁵⁰ have been result of Hungarian provocation for deliberate purpose of inducing appointment of an international commission with ultimate object of securing a frontier revision in favor of Hungary.⁵¹

While I do not doubt that there have been individual instances of hardship and perhaps even occasional acts of violence, I am inclined to view that as has become their custom, Hungarian authorities have grossly exaggerated such disturbances as may have taken place as part and parcel of aggressive campaign they have been carrying on for over one year to induce Government of US actively to intervene to advantage of Hungary in differences between Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Conceding that Slovaks may not at all times since end of war have treated Magyars in Slovakia with tact and understanding, fact remains that Magyars, as an Axis power during their occupation of Slovakia, inflicted sufficient brutalities and damage on Slovaks to have caused intense resentment throughout Slovakia at their present attempt to turn their defeat into victory. Having regard to extreme caution Soviet Government has thus far exhibited in not permitting itself to take sides in long standing Slovak-Magyar feud, I believe it would be most unwise for Department to become involved at this time in light of existing international conditions. For Department to take any affirmative action at this stage of controversy would be to invite hostility of Czechoslovak Government, with little to be gained by way of gratitude from an impotent Hungarian Government while, at same time, opening door for Soviet Government to capitalize Department’s action to its own advantage.

In view of close relationship between Cardinal Spellman and myself, I should be glad to have Dept inform him of foregoing facts and of my views.

Steinhardt

49. Not printed. It stated that the alleged forced deportation by Czechoslovakia of Hungarians from Slovakia to the Sudetenland had been the subject of an Associated Press news report of November 23, a representation to the Department of State by the Hungarian Legation on November 26, and an appeal from Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty, Prince Primate of Hungary, which had been transmitted to the Secretary of State in New York by Francis Cardinal Spellman. The Hungarian Legation and Cardinal Mindszenty indicated that the Hungarians being transported to the Sudetenland under a Czechoslovak Government regulation for compulsory labor suffered confiscation of property, separation of families, and circumstances of transfer that were said to be “anything but humane”. The Department was concerned about the reports and asked Ambassador Steinhardt to report on the scope and character of the population removal and to present recommendations on the possible United States action to be taken. (840.4016/11–2646) The text of Cardinal Mindszenty’s cablegram of November 23, 1946, to Cardinal Spellman, appealing for help for the Hungarians being deported from Slovakia, is printed in Cardinal Mindszenty Speaks: Authorized White Book (New York, London, Toronto: Longmans, Green and Co., 1949), p. 112.
50. Not printed.
51. Telegram 2293, December 11, from Budapest, reported that Prime Minister Nagy had informed Minister Schoenfeld that the Hungarian Government did Hungarian Government did feel, however, that the program of resettlement of not object to the application of the Czechoslovak labor decree to Magyars. The Magyars to the Sudeten area of Bohemia was clearly calculated to create a fait accompli in advance of the settlement of the minority problem by direct negotiation between Czechoslovakia and Hungary. (840.4016/12–1146)