ADSS 6.19 Angelo Rotta to Maglione: diversity of opinions on the anti-Jewish laws

ADSS 6.19 Angelo Rotta, Hungary to Cardinal Maglione

Reference:  report number 2242/39; AES 2256/39

Location and date: Budapest, 22.04.1939

Summary statement: Diversity of opinions between the Upper and Lower houses of parliament on the racial laws. 

Language: Italian

Text:

Yesterday his Excellency the President of the Council, Count Teleki and His Excellency the minister of Foreign Affairs returned from Rome very satisfied with the results and the warm welcome afforded them (1).

Already the Hungarian newspapers have reported widely and with expressions of deep sympathy about the audience granted to the official representatives of Hungary by His Holiness (2), highlighting the paternal benevolence shown by the Holy Father to the Hungarian nation.  Then, this morning, the newspapers published a beautiful statement made by Count Teleki on his arrival (3). (See attached).

The President of the Council has returned to find the waters of public life a bit more troubled by reason of internal politics and foreign policy.

Dissension arose between the Upper House and the Chamber of Deputies concerning the law regarding the Jews.  The House of Deputies has not approved the consideration given to Jews who have been baptised for at least twenty years etc, etc, as I wrote in my report 2223/39 dated 15 April (4).

It pertains to the President of the Council – who is personally not favourable to the modifications introduced in the Upper House and who tends towards the more radical option – to study a way of finding a resolution of the divisions. 

According to the law currently still in force until the new elections, the new proposal will be sent to the Upper House.  The proposal will be put to the floor of the House of Deputies next week. If the Upper House retains all or part of its variations , the House of Deputies will not discuss, but will defer everything to Committees for both Houses charged with studying to find an agreement.

If agreement is obtained, the proposal is returned to both chambers for final approval; but is agreement is not obtained the reconciliation commission comes together again.  If discussions remain without result the text adopted by the House of Deputies will be sent without delay for the signature of the Head of State (5) to be enacted as law.

As your Eminence can see the situations rather delicate: here the ability of the Prime Minister will have to show his ability to settle the matter without bumps and shocks.  Generally the Upper House shows itself submissive, and in all probability the same will happen this time without reaching a state of real crisis.

Another difficulty in these last days is in the field of foreign policy, namely with Slovakia.  There was another border incident, where the Slovakian government, even with recent measures, demonstrates a real hostility towards Hungarians in Slovakia.  Where this could lead to, you can imagine:  I is to be wondered that one day Slovakia could suffer, more or less, the same fate as Ruthenia or Bohemia.

His Excellency Monsignor Tihamér Tóth, the new bishop of Vesprém (6) who has been suffering with the influenza for the last two months, was supposed to begin three days of preaching at the University church but was taken to St Rocco hospital for a serious operation.  As a result of the influenza, which had not healed, he developed an infection in the chest with very high fevers.  The surgeons had to open the front cavity and they have assured that it will be five or six weeks before he can resume his pastoral ministry.  His current status is relatively good and his temperature has come down, and his doctors recommend complete rest over these days.  Let us hope he gets better soon and returned to full health in order to return to his duties of the government of his vast diocese, which has felt, a little abandoned in recent years.

Notes:

(1) See ADSS 6.16 n3.

(2) See L’Osservatore Romano, 21.04.1939.

(3) See Pester Lloyd, 22.04.1939.

(4) See ADSS 6.16.

(5) Nicholas Horthy (1868-1957)

(6) Bishop Tihamér Tóth (1889-1939), author of books that had been translated into several languages, was coadjutor with right of succession since 30.03.1938.  He succeeded Ferdinand Rott, bishop of Veszprém on 03.03.1939 but died shortly after on 06.05.1939.

Pal Teleki & Istvan Csaky 1941