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BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 29-3-1
TITLE:             Hungarian Daily Background
BY:                Irodalmi Ujsag
DATE:              1956-12-31
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  ERS
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956 Revolution, Hungary--Writers' Union, Personalities

--- Begin ---

FROM THE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH SECTION 31 DECEMBER 1956

HUNGARIAN DAILY BACKGROUND

(Special on Writers' Union)

Meeting of the Members of the Hungarian Writers' Union

On December 28, the Hungarian Writers' Union met in BUDAPEST. The
only point on the agenda was the report of the Secretary General
Sander ERDEI, on the activities of the Union during the past two
months. In preparation for coming debates and comments, as well
as possible resolutions, Hungarian Research here summarizes the
activities of the Writers' Union during the past three months:

a) The Writers' Union Before October 23

On September 17, the struggle between the Hungarian writers and
the RAKOSI-GERO regime reached a turning point. The occasion was
the election of a new Presidium, which was awaited with great
interest. In the new Presidium (25 members) the exponents of
Stalinist policy, Bela ILLES, former editor of the "Irodalmi
Ujsag," and Jozsef DARYAS, Minister of Public Education (who had
for years been the President of the Writers' Union) and other
Stalinists were excluded. Writers were also excluded who took
part in the resistance only later or in a moderate form, such as
the Stalin Prize winners Tamas ACZEL (now in BELGRADE) and Sander
NAGY, Peter KUCKA and others. Writers who had for years been
condemned to silence now became members of the Presidium, as for
example the Social Democrat Lajos KASSAK, the mystic Catholic
Aron TAMASI, the third way traveler Laszlo NEMETH, the National
Peasants Ferenc JANKOVTCH and Lorincz SZABO, the liberal
anti-Fascist Jozsef FODOR, and the Socialist Pal IGNOTUS, who had
been released only in March 1956 after nearly eight years'
imprisonment.

The Presidium was elected secretly, and in this the Writers' Union
on its first serious victory in the over two years' struggle with
the Stalinists. As a consequence of the far-reaching changes in
the Presidium, the leadership of the Union was cleared of
Stalinists and semi-Stalinists, and came under the direction of the men
of the "thaw." This was the first organization, during the
peaceful period of the Hungarian revolution, to slip out of the control
of the Hungarian Communist Party. (see also Evaluation and
Research background paper of September 18 1956 "Congress of the
Hungarian Writers' Union.")

The extent of the changes in the Writers* Union Presidium can be
seen by comparing the 1954 list with that of those elected on
September 17 1956, showing 13 changes in the Presidium of 25.
Thus the Union became even more the intellectual center of the
peaceful revolution.

[page 2]

1954			1956

Tamas ACZEL		laszlo BENJAMIN
Laszlo BENJAMIN		Tibor DERY
Jozsef DARVAS		Sandor ERDEI *
Tibor DERY		Gyula ILHES
Sandor GERGELY		lajos KASSAK *
Bela ILLES		Aron TAMASI *
Gyula ILLYES		Zoltan ZELK
Ferenc JUHASZ		laszlo NEMETH *
Istvan KIRALY		Iajos KONYA
Iajos KONYA		Peter VERES
Peter KUCZKA		Gyula HAY
Lajos NAGY		Jeno. J. TERSANSZKY
Sandor NAGY		Iajos TAMASI
Pal SZABO		Pal IGNOTUS *
Erno URBAN		Iorinc SZABO *
Peter VERES		Ferenc JANKOVICH *
Zoltan ZELK		Perenc JUHASZ
Gyula HAY		Jozsef FODOR *
Tibor BARABAS		Pal SZABO
Tibor CSERES		Istvan ORKENY *
Gyorgy BOLONY		Peter KUCZKA
Janos FOIDEAK		Istvan SIMON *
Sarolta LANYI		Emil G. KOLQZSVARI *
Tibor MERAY		Geza KEPBS *
Sandor ERDEI		Serene KARINTHY
(resigned in Nov. 1955)	

Persons whose names are underlined in the 1954 list are not member of the new
Presidium.

Those whose names are marked by an * on the 1956 list were recently elected.
on the 1956 list were recently elected,

[page 3]

b) Demands Made by the Writers' Union on October 23

After September 17, the writers became more aggressive, their
tactics gradually changing from debating to demanding, and the
spirit of the "Irodalmi Ujsag" spread into certain daily papers
("Nepszava," "Magyar Nemzet," "Szabad Ifjusag.") Among demands
were the exclusion of Stalinists from key positions, the ending
of the privileges of the Party aristocracy, ending of censorship
etc. The cultural debate gradually turned into a political and
economic debate, and the intellectual revolution into a political
revolution. This was demonstrated in the role played by the
Writers' Union on October 23.

Peter VERES, President of the Union, read the proclamation of
the Writers' Union to the crowd gathered at the Bern monument. It
was called "The Proclamation of the Hungarian Writers." This
proclamation, which included seven demands, was also printed in a
special edition of the "Irodalmi Ujsag" on October 23.

In its introduction it said:

"We have reached an historical turning point. We can only stand
our ground in this revolution if all the Hungarian working
population unites in one disciplined camp.

"The Party and the leaders of the State have not given any
acceptable program so far. For this those men are responsible who,
instead of a social democratic solution, have in the past planned,
and continue to plan, to reinstatea RAKOSI terror regime.

"We, the Hungarian writers, have put the demands of the Hungarian
nation into the following seven points:

1. Independent national policy on the basis of
socialist ideology. Supervision of international agreements and
economic contracts.

2. An end should be put to the nationality policy
among the people, because it has a disturbing effect on
their friendship.

3. The economic situation of the country should be
made public.

4. The enterprises should be led by the workers and
experts. The wages and norm systems should be readjusted.

5. The agricultural policy should be changed.

6. Imre NAGY should have a position worthy of him.

7. The people should elect their representatives
freely and secretly.

("Irodalmi Ujsag", Oct. 23 1956)

[page 4]

c) Representatives of the Writers' Union in the
Revolutionary Organizations

Today we do not yet know which of the writers took part in the
fighting after October 23. In BELGRADE Tamas ACZEL said to a
reporter of the "New York Times" that he had been on the
barricades. It is very probable that others were also fighting. Some
of the writers were arrested, and some are still in prison.

The writers' Union played a leading part in creating the
Revolutionary Committee of Intellectuals. This committee was formed
on October 28. It published a manifesto which stated that the
revolution had won, and proclaimed war against Stalinist or
counter-revolutionary attempts at restoration. The manifesto
made ten demands:

"1. The government should forthwith settle our
relationship with the Soviet Union on the basis of equal rights.
Soviet troops should begin their withdrawal from the entire area
of the country.

2. The government should cancel our disadvantageous
contracts in foreign trade. The fruits of the Hungarian soil,
bauxite and uranium, and the fruits of the peasants' work, should
not be sent abroad by secret treaties for extremely low prices.

3. General secret elections should be held at which
the people can nominate their candidates.

4. Plants and factories should really belong to the
workers.

5. The government must put an end to the exploiting
norm system. In proportion with our economic possibilities it
must raise the low wages and pensions.

6. Trade Unions must truly protect the interests of
the workers and their members must be freely elected. The
working peasants should also have their own organizations for
protecting them.

7. The government should assure the freedom of
agricultural production as well as its protection by supporting the
voluntary peasant associations. The hated compulsory delivery
system must be cancelled.

8. Let there be a fair deal and let the peasants who
have been burdened with unjust parcelling of their land, and
other illegal measures, receive financial compensation.

9. Let there be complete freedom of speech, of the
press and of meetings.

10. The government should proclaim October 23, the
first day of our fight for national liberation, a national holiday.

[page 5]

Signed: The Revolutionary Committee of
Hungarian Intellectuals."

This proclamation was signed for the Hungarian Writers' Union
by Sandor ERDEI, Gyula SIPOS, Tibor MEREY and Sandor HARASZTI.
The committee also included representatives of all important
intellectual organizations, the Revolutionary Committee of the
Universities, the Journalists' Association, the Petofi Circle,
etc.

With this committee as its center, the Revolutionary Council of
Hungarian Intellectuals was formed in BUDAPEST on November 21.
This was commented by the trade union paper "Nepakarat," as
follows:

"This council originated from the revolutionary
committees formed by the intellectuals after October 23.
Today the demands the committee made at the time are
widely known; the uprising achieved a part of them and
the others are identical with the further lawful
demands of the workers and the whole population."

("Nepakarat", November 27)

Secretary General of the Council was Gyorgy MARKOS, economist,
who was also a member of the revolutionary committee formed
after October 28. President was the widely esteemed Zoltan
EODALY. "Prom the Writers' Union Tibor DERY and Dezso KERESZTURY
were members of the council. The Council of Intellectuals was
in close contact with the BUDAPEST Workers' Council, which was
dissolved by the government on December 9.

[page 6]

d) Formation of the Revolutionary Committee of the
Writers' Union

On November 2 the Writers' Union held a general meeting, at which
the speakers included Geza KEPES, Peter VERES and Gyula ILLYES,
who stated that the presidium of the Union was elected on
September 17 in a democratic manner, therefore fundamental
changes were unnecessary. However, the general meeting elected
six new members to the presidium: Dezso KERESZTURY, from the
Petofi Party, Janos KODOLANYI, Istvan SINKA, Geza FEJA, the
Catholic Gyorgy RONAY and Istvan LAKATOS. The increased
presidium was transformed into the Revolutionary Committee of the
Writers' Union. This general meeting proves that the leader-
ship of the Writers' Union was already purged of Stalinists
during the period of the peaceful revolution, thus there was
no need to make fundamental personal changes after the armed
uprising.

The general meeting furthermore agreed that the constitutional
form and literary basis of the Writers' Union should be
retained. It was at this time that the proposition that the Writers'
Union should send an appeal to the writers of the world (through
the PEN Club) to help by every means the independent, democratic
and neutral Hungary, was voiced for the first time.

e) Writers in Politics

When the political parties were formed, several members of the
presidium of the Writers' Union, the most famous Hungarian
writers, received positions in the leadership of the Petofi
Party. The Petofi Party was formed from the former National
Peasant Party. A special directing body was formed which was
placed above the temporary leadership of the party. Only
writers were elected to this directing body. Among them were
Gyula ILLYES, Peter VERES, Lorincz SZABO, Janos KODOLANYI, Geza
FEJA Laszlo NEMETH, Dezso KERESZTURY, Istvan SINKA and Aron
TAMASI, all of them members of the Writers' Union presidium.
We have no information as to whether well known Communist writers
like Tibor DERY, Gyula HAY, Laszlo BENJAMIN etc, joined the
Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (which succeeded the Hungarian
Workers' Party.)

The opinion of the most significant writers on the revolution
was summarized in the November 2 issue of "Irodalmi Ujsag,"
which had a special edition in PARIS in French. In the same
number, an appeal of the Writers' Union was also published
which urged people not to take the law into their own hands. It
ran as follows:

[page 7]

DECLARATION OF THE HUNGARIAN WRITERS' UNION

"The greatest virtue in the carrying out of our national
revolution, freedom and independence has been: morality.

"The Hungarian writers took their part in the
preparation of the" revolution. It is also their duty to guard the purity
of the revolution.

"They demand the calling to account of all those who
committed crimes against the people. They demand with the same
determination that the criminals should account for their crime
"before a free Hungarian court. The people should not administer
justice in the streets but in the court-rooms!

"We appeal to everyone to hand over the criminals
unharmed to the national militia of honved patrols. Personal
retribution is unworthy of us. We are convinced that the Hungrian
people agree with their writers in this.

"The eyes of the world are upon us. They admire the
purity of our revolution. Let us not tarnish it!

BUDAPEST, November 1 1956

The Hungarian Writers' Union."

During this phase of the uprising the writers' Union was in
permanent contact with the government and with Imre NAGY personally,
acting as a kind of advisory body. Aware of its responsibility,"
the Union fought for the purity of the revolution. It organized
a collection in BUDAPEST; boxes and baskets were placed on street
corners in which passers-by dropped their contributions. No one
guarded the boxes. It was concern for the purity of the
revolution which led the Union to publish its November 1 declaration.
On November 3 it published another proclamation in which it
assured Imre NAGY of its support:

APPEAL 0F THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE OP
THE HUNGARIAN WRITERS' UNION

"We Hungarian writers elected our revolutionary
committee. We approve and support the declaration of Prime Minister
Imre NAGY, the pronouncement of the neutrality of our country,
the repudiation of the WARSAW Pact. We agree with the
government's appeal to the UN for the assurance of its demands. We
greet the revolutionary councils' appeal to resume work. The
cause of the revolution is threatened if work is not immediately
resumed. Workers, soldiers, members of the national militia!

[page 8]

We ask you to protect and guard the achievements of the
revolution. We are with you with all our strength.

"The Revolutionary Committee of the Hungarian Writers'
Union."

The Writers' Union as an organ, as well as the writers
individually -- with the exception of a few Stalinists -- also most
emphatically sided with certain aims of the revolution (e.g.
neutrality) which were rejected "by the present government.

f) The Writers' Union under the Second Soviet
Intervention

The last broadcast of Radio Free KOSSUTH on November 4, at 0757
hours, was the dramatic appeal of the Writers' Union to the
writers, scientists and intellectuals of the world:

"We ask for the help of every writer and scientist of
the world, of every writers' association, of every
academy, of intellectual leaders. Time is short!
You know the facts, we do not have to tell you these.
Help Hungary! Help the Hungarian people! Help the
Hungarian workers, scientists, workers, peasants and
intellectual workers. Help! Help! Help!"

The Soviet attack put an end for a time to the activities of the
intellectuals', students' and workers' revolutionary
organizations. But after the first shock was over these organizations
again became active. Armed resistance was replaced by political
resistance.

On November 12 the Writers' Union published a mimeographed
proclamation entitled: "To the people of the country - from the
Hungarian intellectuals." The appeal was joined and signed by
every notable intellectual organization. The essence of the
proclamation was:

1. Hungary should become a neutral state, free of any
foreign domination.

2. The economic and social regime of the country
should be Socialism, built by democratic methods and taking
national traditions into account.

3. They agree to the land-reform of 1945, also to the
nationalization of factories, mines and banks.

4. The resolution does not demand the multi-party

[page 9]

system and free elections, but protests against the
re-introduction of dictatorial methods of the past and every kind of terror
and despotism.

Ten days later the Writers' Union published another independent
declaration which it presented to the organizations which signed
the November 12 declaration that they should also be able to
join. This declaration reported on the visit paid by the Writers'
Union delegation to the Soviet commander, on which occasion they
referred to the statement of SEPOLOV that no one would be taken
from the territory of Hungary, and that every case would be heard
before a Hungarian court. The Soviet commander promised the
delegation that in case of erroneous arrests he would start an
inquiry on request from the Writers' Union, i.e. would make
amends. In connection with the strike, the declaration was of
the view that this concerned only the workers. It agreed that
the workers should resume work without giving up any of their
demands. In the interest of the earliest possible resumption
of production, it said the government should start negotiations
with the "representatives who have the full authority of the
workers." The third point of the declaration discussed writing
the truth:

"The most precious right of literature and art achieved
during the revolution is that of freedom and veracity.
We will defend this right and use it with responsibility.
toward our people. In the future we will continue to
participate in such press work (including radio etc.,)
which has as its main principle veracity and the service
of the people's cause."

This resolution is unique in the history of literature, in that
it is a call to strike which allows writing -- in radio and press
-- only if the truth can. be said. Since the publication of the
declaration more than five weeks have passed, and till now we
have not come across any work by a notable writer, either in the
press or the radio.

On November 22 the Hungarian Dramatic Art Association held a
meeting to which Gyula ILLYES, Laszlo NEMETH end several other
members of the Writers' Union presidium were invited, when the
Association announced its association with the November 21
declaration of the Writers' Union.

The November 21 declaration was ratified by another, published
by the Writers' Union on December 2. This last declaration was
not published in the BUDAPEST press or broadcast by Radio
KOSSUTH. It was broadcast one week later by Radio GYOR. One
of its paragraphs reads:

"We are not counter-revolutionaries -- no reasonable,
decent Hungarian could be one. At present, we refuse
to write... we are deeply hurt by the slanders cast

[page 10]

at us. We will write again only when official forums
acknowledge that we are not Fascists but true
Hungarians. We will write in the interest of the people and
our fatherland."

These declarations and appeals show that the Writers' Union was
still, after November 4, actively opposing the attempts at
restoration made by the government. Although they did not insist on
the multi-party system, free elections and neutrality -- obviously
considering the Russians -- they still clung with unchanged
determination to the writing of the truth.

g) The Writers' Union and the BUDAPEST Central
Workers' Council

It is still not possible for us to ascertain exactly the extent
of co-operation between the writers and the workers7 councils.
On November 14 the Writers' Union delegated two of its members
to be present at the formation of the Great-BUDAPEST Central
Workers' Council. The November 21 declaration of the Writers'
Union approved the November 16 and 21 resolutions of the workers'
council. The Union's point of view on the subject was the
following:

"The presidium of the Writers' Union discussed at its
November 21 meeting the November 16 and 21 resolutions
of the Great BUDAPEST Central Workers' Council, which
is making arrangements for the resumption of work. In
these resolutions the workers fully maintain their
demands and retain the right to strike. The Writers'
Union wishes for the earliest assurance of peaceful
work and a free life, and that we should be able to
fight unhampered and (although with new mediums) with
unchanged force for the preservation and further
development of the achievements of the revolution. It
is for this reason that the writers' Union finds it
right that production should restart as soon as possible,
and where it is already in process it should be
increased. It also finds it necessary that in the
interest of achieving all this the government organs should
speedily start negotiations with the representatives
endowed with full authority by the workers."

Nevertheless the government organs did not start to negotiate,
but instead, in the first days of December, arrested the
"representatives endowed with full authority." A delegation, with a
list of the arrested, called upon the government on December 8.
The delegation consisted of Sandor RACZ, president of the Central
Workers' Council; Peter VERES, president of the Writers' Union,
and Aron TAMASI, a member of the Writers' Union presidium.

[page 11]

The delegation wanted to present a memorandum to Prime Minister
Janos KADAR, urging that "the government should take immediate
steps to stop unjustified and illegal arrests." The memorandum,
which was displayed in every enterprise, emphasized: "The
government should recognize the patriotic, democratic, socialist,
progressive character of the revolution and should separate itself
from all Stalinist and truly counter-revolutionary forces."

h) Writers in Prison

We have no exact information so far how many writers were arrested
consequent to the revolution, or how many of them are still in
jail. On this subject we have only two references. Police-colonel
Gyorgy SOS, head of the BUDAPEST police, in an interview with the
correspondent of the daily "Mai Nap" on December 16, said that
"the activities of some writers are more harmful than those of
ordinary criminals." He added:

"Those against whom we have ground for suspicion we
detain, with the approval of the prosecutor. Thus the
writers Gyula FEKETE and Zoltan MOLNAR have been arrested
by the BUDAPEST police, and, as the investigations are
still going on, I cannot make further comments.

"As to the detention of Tibor DERY and Miklos MCLNAR,
there can be no doubt that a mistake was made. These
two writers were arrested under unusual circumstances
But this has already been remedied..."

We have no information about other writers. We are sure, however,
that the number of those arrested is more than two. Radio
KOSSUTH broadcast on December 27 that Bela ILLES, in a letter to
"Nepszabadsag," asked that the writers and journalists who had
been arrested should be set free. No further details are
available.

1) No Official Move Against Writers' Union

The KADAR government has not made any official move so far
concerning the activities of the Writers' Union during the
revolution. According to KADAR's analysis, the revolution started with
good aims but was later misused by counter-revolutionary forces
in their own interest. On the other hand, no declaration on
behalf of the Writers' Union mentioned counter-revolutionary
forces. While KADAR reserved the right to take a stand on the
subject, the "Literaturnaja Gazeta" of December 1 came out with
an article attacking in person Gyula FEKETE, Endre VESZI, Istvan
ORKENY and Peter KUCKA. On the Writers' Union in general it
said:

"It should be stated with profound regret that an
objective study of the role of the Union of Hungarian

[page 12]

Writers in the Hungarian events does not give grounds
for any positive judgments. Moreover, we can now
state with all responsibility that some writers have
played the role of secret allies of the reactionary
forces in these events. After the defeat of reaction,
which was effected without their participation, they
took up a false, ambiguous and essentially
anti-government position..."

The most probable aim of the government is to break the unity of
the Writers' Union. This is reflected in a Radio MOSCOW program
called "Today in Hungary," broadcast on December 26:

"A meeting of BUDAPEST writers is planned for December
28. Some of the writers sincerely want to participate
in the people's task of restoring life in all fields.
It is true that some of the intelligentsia still
maintain a so-called neutral position, a position of
"sitting on the fence," of "wait and see."

"But the Hungarian people do not approve of this
attitude. They want their intelligentsia to occupy
progressive positions and not to shy away from the
difficulties. "

These attempts aimed at polarization and disruption do not have
much chance of succeeding. The present unity of the Hungarian
writers came about in much more difficult and more dangerous
times. This unity has already produced outstanding results. It
is hard to imagine that the leaders of Hungary's literary life
might forget this fact.

End

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