864.00/3–547: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Acting Secretary of State
659. Personal for Acheson. Because of urgency of matter, I am transmitting at once to Molotov, the Hungarian situation as per your 370 of March 3.1
Would like to take this opportunity to re-emphasize matter raised last paragraph your 361, March 3,2 that from our local viewpoint it would seem desirable in cases of this kind to make haste slowly. To us second paragraph of Dept’s note appears vulnerable. From messages we have seen it is clear that some Smallholders deputies actually were directly implicated in plot. It can be expected that Soviet Govt will concentrate fire on this fact and will use it to discredit remainder of our protest which is otherwise extremely well taken.
If I had opportunity to comment, I would have suggested we admit frankly that apparently some deputies were implicated in plot but that other evidence available to us showed clearly that plot was beings used by minority group to discredit other innocent deputies and thus: undermine and render ineffectual democratic basis of govt.