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BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 29-4-229
TITLE:             Hungarian Daily Background
BY:                
DATE:              1957-1-5
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  From the Evaluation and Research Section
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956 Revolution, Communist Parties--Hungary, Church and State

--- Begin ---

FROM THE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH SECTION	5 JANUARY 1957
No. 57/2

HUNGARIAN DAILY BACKGROUND
(To 1200 hours. January 4)

1. The Hungarian Socialist Workers Party. (MSZMP)

a) Its Predecessor

The name "MSZMP" is no novelty in Hungary. The first MSZMP was
set up on April 14 1925, on orders of the Communist Party in
Hungary, which had been pushed into illegality. Its leader
became lstvan VAGI, carpenter-worker, an old Communist Party
member. Kato RAMAN, one of the martyrs, of the Hungarian
Communist movement, who died in consequence of injuries suffered
in prison, was another member of the presidium.

In these times the MSZMP tried to win new members for the
battered and persecuted Communist Party; for this reason its program
was mostly an economic one, and to win over moderate elements
it demanded a new land reform, tax reductions for the small
artisans and tradesmen, and the introduction of an eight hour
work-day. In spite of this, the number of members was never
very high. In 1928 the majority of the "MSZMP" presidium was
arrested and the Party ceased its activities.

b) In the First Phase of the Revolution

The Hungarian Workers' Party, which was formed from the Communist
Party and the forcibly merged Social Democratic Party in June
1948, ceased to exist after the revolution on October 30. The
Social Democratic Party was re-established again. Janos KADAR
declared on November 1 the formation of a new party of his
followers: the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party. Though it
had not been announced officially, the Hungarian Workers'
Party (CP) ceased to exist. The stages of the last week of
its existence were:

On October 24, at the early morning hours, the Central Committee
elected a new Political Committee. Six Stalinists and
semi-Stalinists were removed. The rehabilitated KALLAI, the
prothaw supporters Zoltan SZANTO and Jozsef KOBOL and Imre NAGY
were elected; GERO remained first secretary and Andras HEGEDUS,
former prime minister, remained in the Political Committee.

On October 25 Erno GERO was removed and Janos KADAR took over
the post of first secretary, but no other essential changes
took place.

On October 27, a new presidium of the CP was elected, the members
of which were: Antal APRO, Karoly KISS, Ferenc MUNNICH, Imre

[page 2]

NAGY, Jahos KADAR and Zoltan SZANTO. This solution was a
compromise and retained three old Stalinist members: Antal APRO,
Karoly KISS and Ferenc MUNNICH.

Three days later, Imre NAGY announced the end of the one-party
system. The completely discredited Hungarian Workers' Party
was abandoned. KADAR announced that preparatory committee
was formed for the convening of a congress for founding the
Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party. The members of the
preparatory committee were: Professor Gyorgy LUKACS, the
rehabilitated Geza LOSONCZY, Janos KADAR and Ferenc DONATH, Imre
NAGY and one of his close collaborators Zoltan SZANTO, former
Minister to PARIS. KADAR admitted that the membership of the
party will be considerably thinned when on October 30 he
declared: "The party files will be shaken in their foundation."
KADAR strongly attacked the Stalinist policy of the RAKOSI clique
and assured his full support for the government efforts
directed at the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops. He stressed the
roles played in the revolution by Hungarian Communist writers,
journalists, university students, the Petofi circle and
imprisoned Communists. He does not wish to forge political and moral
advantages out of this fact. On the other hand, the Hungarian
Socialist Workers' Party wants to fight against those "who
want to seize from the working class the factories and mines
and the land from the peasants." KADAR also mentioned another
dangers: "We have to face another grave and disquieting danger.
that the interference of foreign armed forces would bring to
our country the tragic fate of Korea." The new party settled
in its new headquarters in Nador street and with this broke
one further link with the old CP. They left the huge block of
buildings of the Akademia street. The party also discarded
"Szabad Nep" and began to publish on November 2 a new daily, the
"Nepszabadsag." The first issue- stressed that the "progressive
intelligentsia and the Hungarian socialists had a historical role
in the ideological preparation of the revolution."

[page 3]

b) After the Second Soviet Intervention

After the second Soviet intervention the MSZMP appeared again
on November 6. The government radio broadcast from SZOLNOK an
appeal of the provisional Central Committee of the MSZMP,
declaring that it disassociated itself from the policy of the RAKOSI
clique and of Imre NAGY. The Party had taken the name of the
Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party and asked for the support of
every democratic patriot. It would follow the Leninist principles
of democracy.

Since then MSZMP has tried to maintain the course mentioned above:
it partly condemned the policy of the RAKOSI regime but at the
same time also refused the "Imre NAGY policy which came into the
net of counter-revolutionaries."

To confirm its rejection of the RAKOSI regime, the temporary
Central Committee of the MSZMP passed a resolution on November 14,
according to which 12 leading Rakosists could never again occupy
either a state or a Party post. (They were: ANDICS, ACS, BATA,
BEREI, HIDAS, HEGEDUS, GERO, KOVACS, SZALAI, PIROS, VEGH, NON.)
On these grounds, the Party started to recruit members. On
November 23 1956, the guiding principles of membership were made
public.

1) Persons could be admitted to the Party who accepted
its policy.

2) The Party would fight for an independent, free and
socialist Hungary.

3) The Party would seek support chiefly from former
organizations and members of the Hungarian Workers' Party but
also admit others.

Thus, the Party first of all sought the support of old Communist
Party members. These, however, partly from disillusion and
partly from fear, did not join the MSZMP. The December 2 issue
of "Nepszabadsag" confessed that a major part of the Communists
do not wish to cooperate. Why? The daily answered:

"Our comrades are mainly afraid of one thing: that
sooner or later the old criminal leadership would take
the upper hand in the MSZMP again."

On December 2, 3 and 5 the temporary MSZMP Central Committee held
a meeting. The committee consisted of 23 members. As a result
of the meeting the Central Committee passed a resolution
containing six major subjects:

1. The reasons for the events of October 23 were the
criminal policy of the RAKOSI-GERO clique, the anti-Party
attitude of Imre NAGY and his followers, the Hungarian capitalist
counter-revolution and international imperialism.

[page 4]

2. The final aim of the uprising which broke out on
October 23 was a counter-revolutionary restoration.

3. The present situation can be characterized by the
fact that counter-revolutionary elements try to restore order
by spreading rumors and anti-government provocations.

4. The Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party follows the
theories of MARX and LENIN and wants to take the Hungarian road
to building up socialism.

5. The Party believes in democratic centralism and
condemns sectarianism.

6. The most important tasks of the Party are
liquidation of the counter-revolution; clearing the workers' councils
of demagogue, Fascist elements; the defense of the trade unions
against class enemies; the elaboration of a new economic policy
taking into consideration the country's natural endowments; the
reinforcement of the workers-peasant alliance; ensuring free
scientific development and the setting up of a strong, democratic
militia.

In the field of foreign policy the Party wished to start
negotiations with the Soviet Union as soon as possible to regularize
the relationship between the two countries. The December 9 issue
of "Nepszabadsag" commented on this resolution:

"The Party has definitely broken with all that was bad
and incorrect in the past."

These statements, however, were not sufficient to cause any
considerable increase in the number of those who wanted to join the
Party. In its December 15 issue "Nepszabadsag" wrote bitter
words about "neutral Communists." According to the article many
Communists were keeping away from the Party out of opportunism.

"They are afraid that the situation might change
otherwise, and reckon with the possibility that their
abstention would be considered a good score in the future."

In its December 21 issue an anonymous writer in "Nepszabadsag"
answered the above statement. With surprising energy, he protected
the neutrality of the reluctant Communists:

"The majority of former Party members do not wish to
come into opposition with the people, and do not wish
to get into a situation of being forced to carry out
an anti-people policy, formed without their knowledge
and against their own conviction, and that they should
be held responsible and have to suffer the rightful
anger of the people, instead of those "leaders" who
left their posts at the right moment."

Therefore the reorganization of the MSZMP is meeting grave diffi-

[page 5]

culties. Party meetings are held daily in larger towns, with the
participation of ministers, but up to now results have not been
good. On January 3 the MSZMP counted 100,000 members, only 12
per cent of the Hungarian Workers' Party's membership.

We have no clear picture of the formation of Party organizations
in the counties, but it is apparent from published details that
the highest membership can be found in the counties of the Great
Plain and Trans-Tisza; the organization in Trans-Danubia is
facing great difficulties.

[page 6]

2. Reports of Renewed Walk-out by TATABANYA Miners

The coal miners of TATBANYA -- according to Western sources
(Mac CORMAC, Reuter) -- have walked out again. This news seems
to be supported by the January 3 article of "Nepszabadsag,"
which says that there were earlier reports that in the first
days of the New Year a strike of ten days (some thought 90
days) would be started.

The strike is in protest against

- unemployment,
- the reinstatement of Istvan GAL, director of the
TATABANYA Trust
- the arrest of 12 miners,
- the shortage of cigarettes.

75 per cent of the miners reportedly refuse to go down the pits,
others keep the coal they produce for themselves and try to
exchange it for food and other goods, and there are also some
miners who arbitrarily distribute the stock of apples, soap
and coal stored for the workers.

The TATABANYA mine is one of the most important in Hungary.
TATABANYA, the "town of coal," and the neighboring OROSZLANY,
produce about one fifth of the country's coal supply. TATABANYA
is also the capital of county KOMAROM. Its population is
60,000. Before October 23, 11,000 miners worked in the TATABANYA
pits. In the middle of December the Trust reckoned with the
cooperation of 4,500 miners. After Christmas only 2,000 miners
resumed work. Between December 1 and 14, 8,95 3 tons of coal
were produced, which is the equivalent of 16 hours work in
normal times. According to a report of December 29, production
is one third of that previous to October 23. (Mon. 29.12.56.)

[page 7]

3. Dissolution of the Office for Church Affairs

Yesterday's Hungarian Daily Background referred to the
dissolution of the Office for Church Affairs. In connection with the
activities and scope of duties performed by this office,
Hungarian Research gives the following details:

For the settlement of the relationship between the Church and
the State, the Hungarian Government and the Hungarian bishops
concluded an agreement on August 30 1950.

In May 1951 Parliament decided on the setting up of a separate
organ: the Office for Church Affairs. The Office came under
the supervision of the Council of Ministers and had a president,
appointed by the People's Democratic Presidium and recommended
by the Council of Ministers. His tasks included:

- to carry out the agreements concluded with the
churches and religious denominations,

-the execution of affairs in connection with State
support,

- the paying of subsidies for the maintenance of eight
Catholic schools,

- the management of church bequests and other affairs
concerning church property,

- the preparation and carrying out of church legal
regulations,

- to carry out and control the measures taken by the
Council of Ministers in church affairs.

After the establishment of the Office, the Council of Ministers
set up an extra Foundation for Religious Denominations. This
was managed by the Office. Through this Foundation the Churches
became economically dependent.

In July 1951 the Presidential Council, at the recommendation of
the Office, decreed that archbishops, bishops, acting bishops,
arch-abbots, abbots and the provincials of monasteries, could
be appointed to their offices if the Presidential Council
previously agreed to the appointment. The decree was made
effective retroactively to January 1 1946.

The Office, which was first headed by Istvan KOSSA, then by Janos
HORVATH, appointed so-called peace-vicars, that is to say
archiepiscopal and pontifical vicars over the archiepiscopal and
pontifical assembly (there are three archbishoprics and eight
bishoprics in Hungary) who held the church administrative
functions entirely in their hands. Later, also, the AVH planted

[page 8]

its men into the assembly. These civilian AVH members were
called "moustached bishops" by the population.

The office published its last statement on November 27 1956, in
which it declared that the situation of October 23 still prevailed.

According to a broadcast of Radio KOSSUTH on January 3 1957, by
a collaborator of the Hungarian Telegraphic Agency, based on an
unknown source, the main tasks of the office under liquidation
will be taken over by the chief Ecclesiastical Department of the
Ministry of Education. In the counties, the councils' cultural
departments will carry out the work done up to now by the
representatives of church affairs. The work sphere of delegates
active at the pontifical assemblies will be abolished.

End

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