Office of the Historian

109. Memorandum of Conversation1

US/MC/60
New York, October 6, 1966.

SUBJECT

  • Status of Missions

PARTICIPANTS

  • United States
    • The Secretary
    • Thomas Niles (note taker)
  • Hungary
    • Foreign Minister János Peter
    • Chargé d’Affaires János Radványi

Peter asked the Secretary to accept his most sincere condolences on Mr. O’Shaughnessy’s death.2 He said he knew that Mr. O’Shaughnessy had suffered from a heart ailment, but he had no idea that it was so serious. The Secretary said he appreciated Peter’s expressions of sympathy.

Peter than asked the Secretary whether the United States planned to send another Chargé d’Affaires to Budapest, or whether it might be possible for Hungary and the United States to exchange ambassadors. The Secretary replied that he wished to consider this question but reminded Peter of the special problem which might well stand in the way of such a development. Peter remarked that it would be “useful” to get rid of that obstacle. When the Secretary observed that the United States thought that the Vatican was working for a solution to the problem, Peter replied that the Vatican was really not interested in a solution. He claimed that the Vatican regards the present situation as the best possible, particularly since the presence of Cardinal Mindszenty in Rome could be a major embarrassment. Peter said that the Hungarian Government was in contact with the Vatican, and he suggested that US intervention with the Vatican would be useful. He repeated his earlier statement that the Vatican did not appear to be interested in a solution, and the Secretary said that he would review the problem. Peter asked whether Cardinal Mindszenty’s presence posed an insurmountable obstacle for the exchange of ambassadors. The Secretary replied that the required Senatorial approval for ambassadorial appointments did pose a problem in the case of Hungary. Peter replied that he had the impression that the Secretary was able to control the Senate. The Secretary laughed and said that Mr. Radványi had been misleading his authorities in Budapest if Peter thought the Administration was able to control the Senate.

  1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 66 D 347, CF 85. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Niles and approved in S on October 27. The source text is labeled “Part I of II;” a separate memorandum of the portion of the conversation dealing with trade is ibid.↩
  2. O’Shaughnessy died of a heart attack on September 24 in Budapest.↩