OSA / Guide / RIP / 1956 / RFE/RL Background Reports : Subjects | Browse | Search

The text below might contain errors as it was reproduced by OCR software from the digitized originals,
also available as Scanned original in PDF.

BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 29-3-21
TITLE:             Hungarian Daily Background
BY:                
DATE:              1956-12-22
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  ERS
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956-1965, Political Persecution, Labor Market

--- Begin ---

FROM THE EVALUATION RESEARCH SECTION	22 DECEMBER 1956

HUNGARIAN DAILY BACKGROUND

(Up to 1200 hours December 21)

1. Mass Unemployment Imminent.

Statements made by the government and state union leaders and the
catastrophic coal situation, show that large-scale unemployment is
impending. (See detailed background information in Hungarian Daily
Background of December 20.) Hungary's trade unions are urging an
unemployment date, to ensure at least "minimum subsistance" for
workers expected to lose their jobs, while the country's industrial
machine still grinds along in bottom gear with insufficient raw
materials, coal and electric power, Reuter reported from BUDAPEST
that an official government statement said that metallurgical and
engineering plants were on "short time," working only three days
a week, because of shortage of electric power.

Sandor GASPAR, chief secretary of the trades union council, said:
"The workers in our country are faced with two grave dangers:
inflation and mass unemployment."

It is difficult to give an estimate of how many people will be
dismissed from their jobs. One of the Radio Kossuth commentaries
which first mentioned the danger of mass unemployment said that
"several thousand" unemployed was to be expected.

2. New Political Police To Be Set Up.

Dr. Geza SZENASI, chief prosecutor, declared at the chief
prosecutors' department session on December 19 that political
investigation sections would be organized within the police "to deal
with the clearing up and the prevention of criminal acts committed
against the state." He denied rumors that the government would take
over the disbanded AVH

Ferenc NEZYAL, head of the Ministry of Justice, also spoke at the
meeting. He held out the prospect of measures to guarantee the
independence of the courts. There should be a guarantee, he said,
that "our decrees safeguarding the independence of courts should

[page 2]

be fully effective, in order that our judges can pass sentence in
accordance with their conscience and their convictions as judges,
and be void of all outside influence." NEZVAL denied rumors of a
return to political life of Erno GERO and declared that "Erno
GERO could return to Hungary only as an accused man, to account for
the crimes he committed against the Hungarian working people."

The AP report on the decree of the Presidium contrasts with
statements on the continuation of liberalizing lawfulness. This decree,
published in the official gazette, said that "persons whose
activity or behavior endanger public order, especially production,
can be placed under detention of public security." The decree,
which noticeably did not mention internment but "detention of
public security," was not published in the government press, which
is on sale to the population, but only in the official gazette,
which has a very limited circulation. The decree said: "On the
recommendation of police authorities, the state prosecutor can
order the detention, which will be carried out by the police.
The chief prosecutor must investigate the case of the detained
person within 30 says, and the "detention of public security"
can last a maximum of six months. The decree is valid for one
year. So far Radio Kossuth has not announced this decree.

3. Writers in Emigration and Prison.,

During the past few weeks five noted Hungarian writers
escaped. Tamas ACZEL, Tossuth- and Stalin-prizewinner, is at
present in BELGRADE, he played an important role in the months
of the peaceful revolution. He was elected to the last leadership
of the Writers' Union and attracted attention with his poem "Ode
to Europe," in which he wrote about the Hungarian people's
belonging to Europe. In BELGRADE he told a "New York Times"
correspondents "I am not a Communist anymore; perhaps you could call
me a Socialist. I used to think that Marxism-Leninism was a good
theory. But I have seen its evil results and I, for one, cannot
stop at blaming STALIN and Stalinism." He said he would like to
emigrate to the US.

Pal IGNOTUS, a Socialist, is at present in LONDON. He was
released in March 1956, after almost seven years in prison. On
September 17, at the general meeting of the Writers' Union, he
was elected to the Presidium although he had not been one of the
candidates.

Gyorgy FALUDY, also a Socialist, whose name became known for his
Villon translations, is in VIENNA. He spent five years in various

[page 3]

internment camps, the last being the notorious RECSK camp, the
cruelest of all.

Endre ENCZI, writer, arrived in VIENNA a few days ago. He is not
a significant writer and had no important part in the revolution
of intellectuals. He intends to emigrate with his family to New
Zealand. Gyorgy PALOCZY HOBVATH, writer, is also in LONDON. During
the days before the revolution he wrote strongly critical articles
in "Irodalmi Ujsag."

According to an article in "Mai Nap," several writers were
arrested during the last week. The article mentions Tibor DERY and
Miklos MOLNAR (since released) and Gyula FEKETE and Zoltan MOLNAR,
who are still under arrest. DERY's part is well-known. Miklos
MOLNAR is a former Peasant Party journalist. On November 1 an article
of his appeared in "Szabad Nep" in which he attacked the "Pravda"
allegations of a counter-revolution in Hungary. Zoltan MOLNAR.
was the Party secretary of DUNAPENTELE (formerly SZTALINVAROS)
Gyula FEKETE, a former Peasant Party journalist, wrote a
sensational article in "Muvelt Nep" and "Irodalmi Ujsag" the weeks
preceding the revolution.

We have no reliable information on the fate of other writers.

End.

  OSA / Guide / RIP / 1956 / RFE/RL Background Reports : Subjects | Browse | Search