811.91264/8–3145: Telegram
The Representative in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 3—6:50 p.m.]
521. Having made prolonged and successful efforts to secure clearance for American correspondents to enter Hungary Department may wish to invite attention of press associations and newspapers represented here to fact that it is highly desirable for them to instruct their representatives to devote sufficient attention to Hungarian situation to enable them to enlighten American public fully and to make it aware of far reaching implications of political and economic situation in Hungary. Restoration of contact between peoples of Hungary and the US, any natural workings of American public opinion as reflected in American press will undoubtedly have beneficial effect on developments within Hungary as envisaged by Secretary Byrnes in recent press conferences.
Despite imposing list of American correspondents who have been granted entry into Hungary situation remains unsatisfactory. While a total of nine correspondents have entered Hungary during last few days not one intends to make Budapest his headquarters and most have passed on to some Balkan country after hurried superficial despatch or two purporting to reveal “situation in Hungary.” It may be that correspondents appreciate serious need of reporting Hungarian situation adequately and with discernment but they may be assigned to cover too large an area and can devote but few hours to a single capital. If this is so the solution would lie with home offices of press associations and newspapers in US.
As it turns out most news reaching outside world from Hungary emanates from Russian and British sources. This slanted news coupled with the lighter sometimes untrue largely human interest type of stories being despatched by American correspondents at present will result in unfortunate and mistaken opinions in minds of American people.
While it is realized that the first correspondents into Budapest would naturally tend to concentrate on spectacular and superficial stories; of what meets the eye, we think that in interests of US situation demands quick switch to sober informative analytical story which presents political and economic revolution in process here in its proper perspective and interprets the news in Hungary for the American [Page 862] people. It is hoped therefore that home offices of correspondents will immediately request such reporting and enable their best trained men to remain here long enough to do the job.