601.6411/2–551: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Legation in Hungary 1
241. Believe detailed refutation Hung arguments re travel restrictions (urtel 3772 and urdes 558 Feb 53) wld serve no useful purpose this time and might tend dull impact our countermeasures, which appear to have made impression on Hungs. Leg accordingly requested reply briefly Hung FonOff protest Feb 5 as fols:
Begin The Leg of the US of Amer refers to the note of the Hung Ministry for FonAff, dated Feb 5, 1951, concerning restrictions on the travel of members of the Hung Dipl Mission in the US and, upon instrs from its Govt, informs the Ministry for FonAff as fols:
The Govt of the US regards the contentions put forward in the Hung Govt’s protest as specious and wholly unacceptable. Moreover, the US Govt emphatically rejects the view expressed in the note of the Ministry for FonAff that the Hung Leg in Washington, irrespective of the restrictions placed by the Hung Govt upon the US Leg in Budapest, is entitled to treatment as favorable as that accorded to Dipl Missions in the US of other fon govts which have not restricted the travel of US dipl personnel.
It is clear beyond any doubt, as evidenced by comments which have appeared in the officially-controlled Hung press, that the travel restrictions imposed by the Hung Govt on members of fon Dipl Missions in Budapest are in reality aimed exclusively at obstructing the movement of reps of the US and of certain other govts in Hung. It is also pertinent to note that several govts having relations with Hung have taken cognizance of this situation and, like the US Govt, have found it appropriate to institute corresponding restrictions on the movement of Hung personnel in their respective territories.
In the circumstances set forth above, it is the position of the Govt of the US that the removal of existing restrictions on the travel of Hung Leg personnel in the US cannot be considered until the restrictions now in effect in Hung upon movements of US Leg personnel are withdrawn. Meanwhile, as the Hung Govt has been informed in the US note of Jan 29, 1951, the travel procedures put into effect by the US Govt will be administered with due regard to the consideration accorded by the Hung auths to travel requests of US official personnel in Hung. End4
Suggest foregoing be brought informally attn ur Brit and Fr colleagues Budapest for their info.
- Drafted by McKisson (EUR/EE), concurred in by Higgs (EUR/EE), and signed for the Acting Secretary by Bonbright. Copies of this telegram were pouched by air to Vienna, Praha, Warsaw, and Bucharest.↩
- Document 725.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Telegram 442 from Budapest, March 19, reported that a note had been sent to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry on March 14 as worded here. Copies of the note were handed informally to the British and French Legations on March 16 for information. (264.1111–Vogeler, Robert A./3–1951)↩