Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XVII, Eastern Europe

110. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Hungary¹

Washington, June 6, 1967, 7:24 p.m.

208645. 1. Sandor Jozan, Acting Hungarian Chargé, called at his request on McKisson at 2:30 P.M. June 6 to convey following oral representations on instructions GOH. Jozan said two incidents had occurred recently which do not contribute to improved US-Hungarian relations and which GOH considered unfriendly. First was publicizing Bernat defection,² despite assurances previously given that Department did not plan initiate publicity in case. Second matter involved separate telephone calls to two members Hungarian UN Mission on June 1 and 2 by anonymous male callers who attempted induce them to defect. Jozan said, in response queries by Department officer, that he not aware identities of UN Mission personnel involved and added that callers did not identify selves in any way.

2. Department officer stated that Department had refrained in entire good faith from initiating publicity on Bernat case. However, in wake of Radvanyi case,³ fact of Bernat defection became known to some members of press through sources not known to Department, and new situation arose when press addressed direct inquiries to Department on subject. Department, in such circumstances, could not properly deny or misrepresent essential facts in case. Information made available in response such press queries was accurate, limited to essential facts, and not aimed at exploiting case for propaganda purposes.

3. Re telephone calls to Hungarian Mission personnel, McKisson expressed concern and regret that Hungarian personnel had been subjected such improper approaches but added that it was his firm conviction that such calls were the work of individual “cranks” and that there was no reason whatsoever to attribute such harassments to US officials. Department officer expressed his hope Hungarian Embassy and Hungarian UN Mission would report all such harassments promptly to US authorities and affirmed US concern and readiness take all possible steps to investigate and, wherever possible, prevent recurrence such acts.

4. Department officer also took opportunity to reiterate with regard Szabo,⁴ Bernat, and Radvanyi cases that all three individuals had acted entirely on own initiative and voluntarily without prior knowledge or inducement by US authorities. Expressed hope that GOH, despite concern it might feel in these matters, would seek, as US has sought, prevent them from having adverse effect on US-Hungarian relations generally. US, for its part, looked toward improvement relations and progress toward settlement outstanding bilateral problems and issues.

5. Jozan expressed understanding and appreciation for statement Department’s views and made no effort at rebuttal or further comment.

Rusk

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL HUNG–US. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Kecskemethy and McKisson, cleared by Stoessel, and approved by Lisle. The Legation was raised to Embassy status on November 28, 1966.
2. Erno Bernat, Third Secretary of the Hungarian Legation, defected in June. Documentation relating to his defection is ibid., POL 30 HUNG.
3. Janos Radvanyi, Chargé d’Affaires, defected in May. Documentation relating to his defection is ibid.
4. Laszlo Szabo, Second Secretary of the Hungarian Embassy in the United Kingdom, defected in October 1965.