864.00/7–1147: Telegram
The Minister in Hungary (Chapin)1 to the Secretary of State
1172. Peyer2 and Valentiny3 called on me yesterday evening and in course of a 2–hour conversation described their position to current Social Democrat policy with frequent references to Hungarian Social Democrat subordination to Communist leadership in service of Soviet power aspirations in this area, Social Democrat anti-American propaganda and failure Social Democrat leadership to fulfill its responsibility to genuinely democratic hopes of party membership. Stating that split in Social Democrat Party was probable in near future, they mentioned they would probably desire to establish their own party, the program of which they summarized as “law, order, peace, and work”. They inquired what protection if any they could expect from US Government in likely event of violent reprisals against them and their followers by Soviets and/or Communists. They referred in this connection to the Yalta Declaration and inquired in effect what steps US was prepared to take to insure fulfilment within Hungary of the Yalta provisions which they added it was obvious were but a mockery at present time.
I replied to the foregoing in the sense that I was present in Hungary to assist by whatever means were appropriate and feasible all genuine democratic elements in Hungary and the general cause of Hungarian democratic development. I added that the US position with respect to policy [police?] methods and abuses of democratic processes in Hungary as elsewhere had been made abundantly clear but that the specific question of how to implement our stand in Hungary was at present under consideration in Washington and that meanwhile we required full information as to developments in Hungary and that I should accordingly appreciate their keeping me fully informed of their plans and problems.
We understand from other sources that Peyer and Valentiny propose to issue at a suitable time within near future a statement of opposition [Page 335] to current Social Democrat policies which will be couched in language calculated to provoke their expulsion from the party following which they will endeavor to organize and have recognized by the ACC an independent Hungarian Social Democrat Party with which they propose to enter the electoral campaign, confident that in a free election they would capture at least 80% of the Social Democrat membership in addition to other elements. I received the impression, however, in conversing with Peyer and Valentiny that their future action will probably depend to a considerable extent on the assurances which they may receive from ourselves and British as to guarantees of a free political milieu in which to operate.4
Sent Department, repeated London 120.
- Minister Chapin presented his credentials to the Hungarian Government and assumed charge of the Legation on July 9.↩
- Károly Peyer, prewar and wartime Secretary General of the Hungarian Social Democratic Party until his arrest and imprisonment in 1944. In post-liberation Hungary, Peyer was the leader of a minor “right-wing” faction of the party.↩
- Ágoston Valentiny, a prominent member of the Hungarian Social Democratic Party and Minister of Justice in the Hungarian Provisional Government, December 1944–July 1945.↩
- Telegram 1201, July 18,
from Budapest, not printed, reported that Peyer and Valentiny had
confirmed their intention to form an independent Social Democratic
Party and added:
“They stated, however, that their implementation of this plan depended upon US Govt’s attitude toward the approaching elections and they requested us to elicit, if possible, statement from US Govt of what undertakings it was willing to assume to insure that approaching elections would be free and unfettered.” (864.00/7–1847)
↩