Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume II

864.00/7–2545: Telegram

No. 818
The Representative in Hungary (Schoenfeld) to the Acting Secretary of State¹

secret

Budapest, July 25, 1945—6 p.m.

334. Alexander Szent-Iványi, administrative vice president of Citizens Democratic Party, informed me today that Teleki resigned his chairmanship of party yesterday and that for present the three vice presidents will direct party activities pending election of new chairman which may be deferred for some time.

Szent-Iványi mentioned that the other parties constituting the coalition remained suspicious of his part[y] but he had good reason to know all except Communists and extreme Left Wing of Peasant and Social Democratic parties were anxious to hold free national election. Members of all parties favoring holding free election were unanimous however that without active support of the Allies in form of what he described as a special electoral commission no free elections could take place in Hungary. He asked me directly whether there was any chance of such commission being instituted to supervise election here.

Stating that I could answer question only in general terms, I called attention to significance of Crimea declaration and my surmise that its implementation was now subject of discussion at Potsdam. As to so called electoral commission, I intimated personal opinion that instrumentality for making effective Allied guarantee of free election here already exist[s] in ACC. I also mentioned Acting Secretary Grew’s recent letter to Senator Vandenberg² on Polish election as demonstration of our interest in free democratic process in liberated and exsatellite countries. I emphasized as I have done in conversations with other Hungarians that from American standpoint full and frank discussion of political issues has [is?] essential part of democratic process and that Hungarian leaders had responsibility not only for guiding Hungarian political activity but also to make their political needs known to Allies in order to facilitate cooperation between representatives of Allied governments on ACC here and constructive elements in Hungarian life.

(See my airgram 291. July 18.³)

Sent to Dept, repeated to Frankfurt as No. 10.

Schoenfeld

1. The same message was sent directly to the Office of the Political Adviser at Frankfurt for transmittal to the United States Delegation at Babelsberg.
2. Document No. 1117.
3. Not printed.