711.64/5–2645: Telegram

The Representative in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State

75. I called on Foreign Minister Gyöngyösi this morning and spoke to him in sense of first two paragraphs your No 43, May 22, leaving memo with him.

Minister expressed great appreciation of our intimation and desired me to thank Dept for its attitude regarding possible Hungarian representation in US. He said, however, that Hungarian Govt had been given to understand by representatives of occupying power on ACC that all contact with foreign govts must be conducted through ACC and have its approval. Hungarian Govt was gravely hampered by its [Page 821] enforced isolation and would welcome direct contact with all Allied Govts and especially with the US. It would be necessary to submit our intimation of readiness to receive unofficial Hungarian rep in Wash to ACC before any action would be taken.57

Minister mentioned as one problem giving FonOff great concern matter of establishment of communications with the US so that relatives here of American citizens in US could communicate with them regarding welfare and other needs. It would be great relief to FonOff if unofficial Hungarian representation in US could be established and operate.

Gyöngyösi who is often charged here with willing subservience to Soviet Union gave me clear impression this morning of sincere desire to break isolation of this country if at all possible.

[
Schoenfeld
]

[In telegram 1168, May 28, 1945, 8 p.m., to Moscow, Ambassador Harriman was instructed to present to the Soviet Foreign Commissariat the proposals of the United States Government for the organization and functions of the Allied Control Commission for Hungary in the period following the end of hostilities in Germany. These proposals were:

  • “(1) The ACC, the functions of which should remain limited to the enforcement of the terms of armistice, should operate henceforward under standing instructions of the three Allied Governments, whose principal representatives on the ACC would have equal status, although the Soviet representative would be Chairman.
  • “(2) ACC decisions should have the concurrence of all three principal representatives, would refer to their respective Governments for instructions on important questions of policy.
  • “(3) All three Allied Governments should have the right to be represented on the sections and subcommittees of the ACC, but need not be represented in equal numbers.”

The same telegram was sent to London as No. 4239 and repeated to Budapest as No. 57. For text of telegram, see Foreign Relations, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference) 1945, volume I, page 368, footnote 5.]

[Page 822]

[Between May 27 and June 23, 1945, President Truman and Marshal Stalin exchanged a number of messages on the question of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Rumania, Bulgaria, Finland, and Hungary. For the texts of these messages, together with related documentation, see volume V, pages 547560, passim.]

  1. Airgram A–25, June 8 from Budapest, transmitted the following translation of a note from the Hungarian Foreign Minister dated June 8, 1945:

    “Referring to your kind oral communication of the 26th of May 1945 I have the honour to inform Your Excellency that I have forwarded instantly to the A.C.C. the United States Government’s offer permitting the National Provisional Government of Hungary to send a representative to Washington. In accordance with the terms of the Armistice Agreement the Hungarian Government is able to take a decision in this very important question only after having obtained the consentment of the A.C.C.

    “To my deepest regret I have received no answer until today from the A.C.C. In view of this hindrance I beg Your Excellency to kindly maintain this obliging offer of the United States Government and to take note that the Hungarian Government will present its answer as soon as the decision of the A.C.C. has been delivered.” (701.6411/6–845)