864.00/7–747
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Matthews) to the Under Secretary of State (Lovett)
Subject: Acknowledgment of note from Mr. Paul Marik, Counselor of the Hungarian Legation, informing the Department of his designation as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Legation of Hungary in Washington.
discussion
The Department is in receipt of a note dated June 71 from Mr. Paul Marik, Counselor of the Hungarian Legation, which states that the President of Hungary has relieved Mr. Aladár Szegedy-Maszák of his duties as Hungarian Minister to the United States and that the Acting Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs has instructed Mr. Marik to act as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Hungary in Washington.
EUR feels that no useful purpose would be served by any break or change in our existing official relations with the Hungarian Government at this time. Any alteration in relations at this juncture would react greatly to our disadvantage, particularly since such action might result in the loss of an important base of diplomatic operations and the closing off of the flow of on-the-spot reports from Hungary. The Department’s reply to Mr. Marik’s note has been purposely delayed pending the arrival in Budapest of Minister-designate Chapin. Mr. Chapin has now arrived in Budapest, however, and plans to present his letter of credence on July 9. We believe, therefore, that the Department should acknowledge Mr. Marik’s notification of his designation as Chargé and express, in the customary form, its willingness to transact business with him in that capacity.
recommendation
It is recommended that the Department make a brief formal acknowledgment, in customary form, of Mr. Marik’s note as in the draft note (Attachment A2) attached for your approval, which merely takes cognizance of the change notified to the Department by Mr. Marik and states that we are prepared to transact business with him.
concurrences
C; S–Mr. Bohlen;3 S/S–PR
[Page 334]attachment
A) Draft reply to Mr. Marik’s note of June 7.