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BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 29-3-46
TITLE:             Hungarian Daily Background
BY:                
DATE:              1956-12-19
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  ERS
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956 Revolution, Political Persecution, Hungary--1956 Revolution--Workers' Council

--- Begin ---

FROM THE EVALUATI0N AND RESEARCH SECTION	19 DECEMBER 1956

HUNGARIAN DAILY BACKGROUND
(Up to 1200 hours December 18)

1) The First Court Martial Sentences.

The martial law decree of December 9 came into force the same
day. On December 12 it was added to by the Presidium, which
ruled that the death sentence could be imposed by courts-martial
for offenses coming tinder summary jurisdiction. The government
decree regulating the carrying out of summary procedures (Mon.
December 15. p. 8O3,) on the other hand, allowed the possibility
of a 10-15 year prison term to be imposed in place of the death
sentence.

Radio Kossuth and Radio Miskole reported on the first court
sessions, held at MISKOLC, KECSKEMET and BUDAPEST. Several
death sentences were brought; one of them was carried out,
whereas the death sentences of several others were commuted to prison
terms.

The Hungarian radio also reported on the arrest of certain persons
found in possession of arms.

2) Workers Councils of Trusts and Combines, Continue Activities.

On December 9 the Council of Ministers dissolved the BUDAPEST
Central Workers Council and the district Workers Council. In
connection with this, the question was raised: what will be the fate
of those Workers Councils which are the central organs of certain
trusts and combines? As the present decree, strictly speaking,
does not apply to these Councils, there is no legal obstacle to
their continuance. The Central Workers Council of the
TATABANYA-and-OROSZLAN mines, therefore, has continued to operate.

The Central Workers Council of the CSEPEL Iron-and-Matal Plant
took up a similar attitude. On December 15 and 17 the Council
held a meeting at which it was decided to continue activities.
But, in order to avoid presenting the government with a point of
attack, it was decided to change the Council's name into the
"Workers Council of the CSEPEL iron-and-Metal Plant," [??]
the word "central"

[page 2]

The CSEPEL Workers Council is the central organ of the 19 factory
units of the Csepel combine and, as such, is one of the strongest
Workers Councils (the number of Csepel workers is 34 to 36
thousand. )

It is easy to suppose that, taking courage from the example of
the CSEPEL workers, the Workers Councils of the other trusts
and combines (Pecs Coalmining Trust, Borsod Coalmining Trust,
Duna Iron Plant etc.) will re-activate themselves.

At its meeting of December 17, the CSEPEL Workers Council
decided on several demands of a political character. It was
demanded that the police should stop the arrests or, if this could
not be achieved, the workers should be told the reason for an
arrest. They also demanded to have an enterprise press.

These demands are an additional proof that the government has
not succeeded in diverting the workers' councils from political
matters, and that these have started again to tackle political
problems. As Elek NAGY, president of the Csepel Iron-and-Metal
Works Plant Workers Council, said in his radio declaration of
December 17: "In Hungary today one cannot find either an
individual or an organization which does not deal with politics."

3) Contacts Between Actors and Writers.

According to an announcement of radio Kossuth, the management
of the Hungarian Association of Theaters and Films will convene
a meeting this week. This association was formed in 1949. In
the first days of the revolution, the revolutionary committee
of the association was set up, which appealed to other theaters
all over the country to follow its example. In an appeal by the
Revolutionary Theater Committee, actors were called upon to
strike: "we shall remain mute until our nation regains its
complete independence."

After the November 1 declaration of the nation's independence
and neutrality, the association called upon the actors to
resume work.

After the second Russian intervention, Radio Kossuth broadcast
on November 23 a manifesto of the "Hungarian Dramatic Art
Association" (obviously the former Hungarian Association of Theaters
and Films.) In this manifesto, the association declared that it
identified itself with the writers' statements of November 22,
agreeing that the most precious right of literature and art was

[page 3]

the one obtained by the revolutions freedom and truth, The
management of the association invited the following
distinguished writers to its meeting:

Gyula ILLYES x
Laszlo HEMDETH x
Gyula HAY x
Endre ILLES
Ferenc KARINTHY x
Dezso KERESZTURY
Aurel KARPATHY
Aron TAMASI x
Miklos GYARFAS
Miklos HUBAY

("X" indicates members of the Hungarian Writers Union Presidium.
Dezso KERESZTURY was the member of the temporary presidium of
the Revolutionary Council of Hungarian Intellectuals.)

End.

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