Office of the Historian

864.00/8–2647

Statement Issued to the Press by the United States Legation in Hungary, August 26, 19471

Budapest, August 26, 1947

In response to inquiry by American correspondent concerning events of August 25 at Csongrad in course of which Zoltán Pfeiffer former deputy and presently leader of Hungarian Independence Party and Tamas Keresztes fellow candidate of Pfeiffer group were beaten and seriously injured, US Legation spokesman today made following statement:

US Legation is astonished to learn that in course of an authorized political meeting of Hungarian Independence Party at Csongrád on August 25 the two principal speakers Mr. Zoltán Pfeiffer and Mr-Tamas Keresztes both former deputies of Hungarian National Assembly were set upon and badly beaten. This event is all the more disturbing inasmuch as it is understood that Minister of Interior had assured Mr. Pfeiffer of the security which would be afforded him in holding a meeting at Csongrad, following similar disturbances at Szentes the same day. It may be noted this is not first of such disturbances within recent months.

While US Legation does not favor the fortunes of any particular Hungarian political party in present election campaign and has consistently avoided any action which might be construed as interference in the campaign, it does view with serious concern developments within Hungary which indicate either inability or unwillingness of Hungarian [Page 363] Government to ensure fundamental rights of freedom of speech and of assembly to duly authorized groups participating legitimately in current election campaign. These rights are guaranteed by [to?] the Hungarian people by peace treaty already signed by Hungarian Government and were envisaged in Yalta Declaration to which US Government is a signatory.

  1. The source text was transmitted to the Department in telegram 1433, August 26, from Budapest, not printed. Telegram 1466, August 30, from Budapest, not printed, reported that the Hungarian Minister of Information had read a declaration to foreign correspondents on August 28 rejecting the Legation’s statement “with astonishment and deep regret” and insisting that the electoral campaign was “absolutely quiet and peaceful”. (864.00/8–3047)↩