Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

864.00/6–647

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of Southern European Affairs (Barbour)

confidential

[Washington,] June 6, 1947.

Participants:	The Hungarian Minister, Aladár Szegedy-Maszák;
	Mr. Matthews and Mr. Hickerson, EUR;
	Mr. Barbour, SE.

The Hungarian Minister called on the afternoon of June 5 at the request of Messrs. Matthews and Hickerson. Mr. Matthews was not able to be present at the first part of the conversation and Mr. Hickerson had to leave before the conversation was concluded.

Mr. Hickerson received the Minister and informed him that the purpose in requesting him to call was merely in order that Messrs. Matthews and Hickerson could express to him personally their admiration for the courageous step he had taken in the light of recent developments in Hungary. Mr. Hickerson went on to elaborate on his realization of the difficulties of the Minister’s position and the gravity of the issues involved. Mr. Hickerson added that the Department was contemplating, subject to final approval, action in the Allied Control Commission and subsequently possibly in the United Nations. He referred to the statements made by the President at his press conference earlier in the day.¹

The Minister then raised the question of his status vis-à-vis the United States. Referring to his note informing the Department that he did not regard the present Hungarian Government as a free agent and was consequently not prepared to execute its orders, he stated that he has not resigned and that he hoped to continue relations with the US Government. He inquired concerning our intentions with regard to Minister-designate Chapin.² Mr. Hickerson expressed the opinion that Mr. Chapin would proceed to Budapest and take up his position as Minister as planned. Mr. Szegedy-Maszák, demonstratively dejected, indicated that, in these circumstances, the US would consider his Mission as terminated and that he had resigned. He drew a parallel between his status and the status of the Czech Minister in this country when the Nazis overran Czechoslovakia in 1939 and made it clear that he strongly hoped that a comparable arrangement could be made for him. Giving it as his opinion that the continuance of relations between the United States and the new Government would be contrary to the course contemplated by this Government to protest developments which led to the Government’s installation, the Minister seemed unable to comprehend our intention that Mr. Chapin assume his post. Mr. Matthews, who had returned to the conversation, said that the US is determined to follow the course which seems best for Hungary and inquired whether the Minister would feel that we would be serving that end in withdrawing our representation from Hungary as would be necessary if we continued to maintain official relations with him. The Minister, after profound reflection, said “no”, that we should by all means maintain ourselves in Hungary but that he had hoped that some middle course could be found whereby it would be possible “to keep the door open”. Mr. Matthews pointed out that we could not have it both ways and that we had to take one course or the other. Mr. Matthews assured the Minister, at length, that we would be happy to have him continue to reside in this country with such members of his staff as would wish to do so as private citizens and that we would welcome friendly contact with him in that private capacity. Mr. Matthews added that we hope the Minister wall be disposed to keep in touch with us and to make available to us such information as he receives from time to time which would be of interest.

The Minister, although obviously depressed, assured Mr. Matthews of his appreciation of this Government’s courtesies to him while on official mission, of his constant desire not to embarrass the US Government in any way and declared on leaving that in all the circumstances he considers his official mission as concluded.

In the course of the conversation, the Minister also stated that he contemplated giving a press conference on June 6 and asked whether the Department had any objection to his releasing for publication the note he had addressed to the Secretary on June 2 concerning the latest developments in Hungary.³ Mr. Matthews replied that the Department did not have objection to such publication.

1. At his press conference on June 5, President Truman characterized the situation in Hungary as an outrage and stated that the United States would not stand by idly. For the text of the transcript of the press conference, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Harry S. Truman, 1947 (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963), pp. 262–266.
2. Selden Chapin’s nomination as Minister to Hungary had been confirmed by the Senate on April 9. He left the United States on June 27 and arrived in Budapest on July 2.
3. Ante, p. 304.