27. Telegram From the Legation in Hungary to the Department of State0
370. We believe Hungarian success in parleying Western legations to embassies here calls for stocktaking on what we may now expect from Hungarians ourselves.
This is what our diplomatic colleagues tell us here. Around time Greeks raised their legation this summer Hungarians approached Belgians. Brussels responded affirmatively and now announcement expected shortly. Hungarians reportedly maneuvered timing of Belgian announcement over several months in order encourage recent British action. At about time British action appeared likely, Hungarians approached French. French action now expected December 17. Meanwhile, Hungarians have approached Italians and suggested to Austrians that property negotiations might be facilitated by Austria raising its legation. Hungarians also indicated to American press representative [Page 57] that level official Hungarian response to Kennedy death1 here was pitched to level US-Hungarian relations.
While this successful maneuvering of Hungarians does West little credit at least some Western missions here were ripe for such approaches. In contrast to ourselves, most of them did not have outstanding problems requiring solution before taking such action. Some did not want to be held back by our special problems and some felt that we have been unnecessarily slow in getting at our problems.
We may be sure GOH has sensed this and may feel that action of other Western powers will tend to isolate us in our posture toward Hungary. They are likely to seek exploit this difference and use it to bring pressure on us to give Hungary the stamp of respectability that other Western powers now giving. GOH probably was much, if not more, interested in acquiring that stamp of respectability as solving problems.
In such situation GOH should not be allowed to hang on us responsibility for not moving effectively toward solution our outstanding problems. Rightly or wrongly, as UN issue has receded, problem of Cardinal, about which everyone here speaks in hushed tones, has emerged within last year in minds Hungarians and diplomatic community as central US-Hungarian problem, solution of which could lead to progress in other areas. This unfortunately tends obscure constructive steps on which GOH gives us little credit, that we have taken in UN, on wheat, and elsewhere. We very much need avoid this and stress positive side what we are doing vis-à-vis Hungary. Information media can play key role in this. Indoctrination our allies and neutrals may also be called for.