501.AA/4–1547
Memorandum of Conversation, by Robert M. McKisson of the Division of Southern European Affairs
| Participants: | The Hungarian Minister, Aladár Szegedy-Maszák; |
| Mr. Barbour and Mr. McKisson, SE. |
During a visit to this office this afternoon, the Hungarian Minister stated that he had received instructions from his Government to present a formal application to the United Nations for Hungarian membership in that organization. The Minister said that he had been surprised to receive this instruction since he had assumed that Hungary would [Page 296] not apply for admission to the UN until after the ratification of the Peace Treaty. He added that he would appreciate an expression of the Department’s views regarding this proposed step.
Mr. Barbour explained that the Department was familiar with the background of this matter and, as a matter of fact, had recently instructed the American Minister in Budapest to inform the Prime Minister that this Government deemed it desirable that Hungary submit such an application at an early date without awaiting the ratification of the Treaty of Peace. He then summarized for the Minister Deptel 331 of March 28 to Budapest, which contained the Department’s instructions to the Legation in this connection, and also informed the Minister of the substance of Budapest’s 555 of April 2 in which it was reported that the Prime Minister had thanked Mr. Schoenfeld for the Department’s interest in a Hungarian application to UN and indicated that he would discuss the matter with the Foreign Minister and determine whether it should be taken up at the next Cabinet meeting.1
The Hungarian Minister said he was happy to have this background information and inquired whether he might be advised by the appropriate division of the Department concerning the proper form in which the Hungarian application should be presented to the UN. Mr. Barbour said that he would undertake to find out whom the Minister might appropriately consult regarding this question.2
- Neither of the telegrams under reference here have been printed (800.515–BWA/2–2647, 4–247). In a note dated April 18, a copy of which was transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 2971, April 23, from Budapest, neither printed, the Hungarian Foreign Minister advised Minister Schoenfeld that the Hungarian Cabinet had decided, on April 10, to apply for admission to the United Nations and solicited the support of the United States for this application (501.AA/4–2347).↩
- A handwritten notation on the source text by McKisson indicates that Minister Szegedy-Maszák called again at the Department on April 17 and was apprised of the methods for making application for membership to the United Nations. Telegram 468, May 1, to Budapest, not printed, stated that an application for Hungarian membership in the United Nations had been submitted by Szegedy-Maszák in a letter of April 22 to the UN Secretary General (800.515–BWA/5–147).↩