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BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 29-3-32
TITLE:             Conditions in Hungarian Factories
BY:                
DATE:              1956-12-20
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  ERS
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956-1965, Political Persecution, Industries

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H-CONDITIONS IN H FACTORIES. D-25

RFE Special-VIERNA -- TORWAY, PONIKIEWSKI, KOCH -- 20 Dec, 1956

CONDITIONS IN HUNGARIAN FACTORIES

An employee of the "HUNGAROTEK" textile enterprise in
BUDAPEST, who arrived in Austria last night reports that the
textile industry in BUDAPEST is almost completely at a stand-still
not only because of strikes and slow-downs, But largely due to a
lack of raw materials. Some Russian cotton arrived in BUDAPEST
recently, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to what is
needed. He also reports that long disuse of many of the spinning
machines has made long periods of repair work necessary before
any large-scale work can be started.

The same refugee also reports that since Tuesday,
Dec. 18 in BUDAPEST waves of arrests have stopped up in tempo and
terror increases from day to day. Many workers, not only leaders
of workers' councils, but also people who were politically active
during the past two months, have simply disappeared. the mania
of escape is now gripping many people in BUDAPEST, but not all
escape is direct to the West: just to get out of BUDAPEST, a
large and cruel trap, is the aim of hundreds of families. It
is significant that during the last days, arrests are no longer
made with Russian assistance, but now with the new groups alone.

At the same time, he continues, agitation to join the
new [??] is getting stronger in the factories. In many plants
the agitators appear with printed membership forms which they
distribute wholesale. This declaration must be signed by the
worker, with no more formalities. As far as he can remember
the text, the form states that the undersigned asks voluntarily
for membership in the Party, that he identifies himself with the
ideas and goals of the workers and peasants revolutionary
government, and he promises to fight for its program. This
declaration may be signed without giving references, or without prior
checking.

[Page 2]

H-1-CONDITIONS IN H FACTORIES. D-26

There are rumors in many plants that in each factory
a new Party committee would be set up which would take over
from the workers' councils and even from the trade unions.

KADAR allegedly had lost trust in the trade unions
when more moderate elements were elected to leading positions
during the revolution.

Other refugees also leaving BUDAPEST at the beginning
of this week report that conditions in BUDAPEST are changing

for the worst. Bread and milk are in short supply, and long
queues are now seen in front of the bakeries and diaries. More
streetcars and busses have gone into operation, but the rush
hour is now 1400 and it is almost impossible to find a seat,
or even a place to stand, when everybody in BUDAPEST hurries
home. By 1500 hours the streets are all but deserted, and by
dusk, the city is completely dead.

The wave of terror is given confirmation by the
Tuesday copies of "Nepszabadsag" and "Nepakarat, karat, both of which
carry many stories about death sentences by the new Kangaroo
courts. Hungarian patriots are sentenced to death not only
for the possession of arms, but also for political crimes
committed during the revolution. The papers cite the case of two
brothers, MINCZER Jozsef and Karoly. One was sentenced to
death and the other, to 12 years for organizing an independent
republic in KESZTOELC village near DOROG. They organized.
village administration and a local guard consisting of 12 [??]
This is now considered high treason,

EVLLUATION COMMENT: It is known from the official radio that
the operation of textile factories is seriously hampered because
of the scarcity of fuel, power and indispensable raw materials.
One has the impression that strips are petering out while the

[Page 3]

H-2-CONDITIONS IN H FACTORIES. D-27

existence of the "go slow" manner of resistance still seems to
be continued. Hence the regime's repeated threats against
workers who just collect their pay but actually are not engaged
in productive activity.

The past week has been characterized by a marked
increase in the activity of the regime's new security force which
carried out -- as it appears clearly from both official
admissions and Western news agency reports -- a large number of
arrests, searches for weapons. It is known that the KADAR
government is making efforts to rely for the restoration of order more
and more on the own security forces rather than the Soviet
Armed Forces. KADAR has claimed in an interview granted to the
GDB radio that the new Communist Party has started its activity
all over the country. Official figures broadcast by the regime
radios have, however, shown that until now only very small
numbers have joined the Party. It has been announced officially a
few weeks ago that the new Party members will not be requested
to draw up a life story.

The regime is trying hard to reorganize the Party
sections in the factories in face of the workers' councils
known reluctance against this move. For the time being, it
would seem that the regime wants to rely upon the workers'
councils in the running of the shops while the trade unions should
take over the representation of the workers' various interests
and the Party sections the political instruction. In its fight
against the territorial workers’ councils and also in its efforts
to restrict the factory workers’ council § to their "actual"
functions, that is the economic management of the factories,
the FADAR regime has so far relied on the trade unions.
KADAR5s reported loss of faith in the latter has not been
reported by other sources.

The food supply to the capital is likely to have its
ups and downs according to the improving or worsening
conditions of transportation and distribution. Unfortunately, the
report fails to point out the reasons for the reported change
for the worse. It is known from official sources that the
streetcars are functioning only until dusk. # 1950

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