Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Eastern Europe, The Soviet Union, Volume VI

840.4016/4–2446: Telegram

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

secret
priority

Budapest, April 24, 1946—1 p.m.
[Received April 27—11:05 a.m.]

762. Praha’s 593, April 19 repeated to Budapest as 26. If Stalin said he opposed special privileges for racial minorities within any state, as Ripka reports, it seems Nagy is under misapprehension as to Stalin’s attitude since on return from Moscow⁴⁴ PriMin issued statement to press here to effect Hungarians could count on support of Soviets in assuring minority rights for Hungarians in Czecho (mytel 741, April 20⁴⁵). Moreover, Rakosi openly attacked Czech position two days ago in speech (mytel 761, April 24⁴⁵) in which he felt free to refute rumors prevalent in Czecho that Slovaks had Soviet support for carrying out denationalization, dispersal of Magyars and removal of minorities rights.

Either Stalin has not been frank in talking with visitors from Czecho and Hungary or his opinion changed subsequent to Ripka’s talk with him. In view of well-founded supposition that close link exists between Hungarian Communists and Moscow, it seems hardly likely Rakosi’s speech, planned well in advance, was wholly spontaneous (mytel 727, April 19⁴⁵).

Sent Dept; repeated to Praha as 46 and Moscow as 175.

Schoenfeld

44. Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Nagy headed a delegation to Moscow during the early part of April 1946. Nagy’s description of his discussions in Moscow, including the subject of Hungarian minority rights in Czechoslovakia, were reported in telegram 742, April 20, from Budapest, p. 280.
45. Not printed.
45. Not printed.
45. Not printed.