ADSS 1.182 Rotta to Maglione: Hungary will remain neutral

ADSS 1.182 Angelo Rotta, Hungary, to Luigi Maglione, Sec State

Reference: Report number 2666/39, (AES 6347/39)

Location and date: Budapest, 03.09.1939

Summary statement: Hungarian Foreign Minister says Mussolini and Ciano promised to keep Italy out of the war.  Csaky welcomes Italian neutrality which will help Hungary maintain her neutrality.

Language: Italian

Text:

Following my coded message number 41 yesterday (1):

As soon as I was back in Budapest I asked to be received by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. (2) I wanted in this way to collect information from reliable sources and to take advantage of the occasion to bring to him the Holy Father’s Benediction and to beg him to convey to His Highness, the Regent, and to his worthy Consort, who are at present staying at Gödöllö, the feelings of gratitude and pleasant remembrance of His Holiness.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed great praise of the supreme Pontiff’s efforts for peace, and appreciated very much his kind message to him.

During this conversation he confirmed what I have already written in my report of 21 August, Number 2618/39 Pr 31 (3) regarding his recent meeting with Hitler and Ribbentrop.  Regarding the conversation with Mussolini and Ciano he said that he met Mussolini on 19 August, after the army manoeuvres, and he found him in very good health: he stayed with him for about three hours.

After Minister Csáky had illustrated Hungary’s attitude in case of a probable conflict, that is: a state of neutrality, even if there will not be an official declaration in this sense.  Hungary therefore would be ready to supply goods against payment both to Germany and Poland; and he asked for information on the future attitude of Italy in the deplorable event of a war.  Regarding this he received from Mussolini’s lips an idea, which he, for the first time, was hearing from him, and which impressed him very much.  Mussolini said Italy was a Catholic country and would feel distressed to have to fight alongside the new pagans against a Catholic State.  Italy is united for sentimental reasons with two European nations, Hungary and Poland.

At this conversation Count Ciano was also present and he in turn said that amongst the secret clauses of the military pact with Germany there was also Germany’s undertaking to maintain peace for three years; he then added that it is easy to govern an unarmed nation but when the nation is armed the ruler must seriously consider its feelings.

Relata refero (4). Would that such ideas were the Government’s guide in determining Italy’s attitude in the present circumstances!

Naturally Minister Czáky understands very well what a difficult position Hungary is in and he hopes that this neutrality which she proposes to observe could last, even if the conflict were to be a prolonged and expanding one; but he is unable to give assurances regarding this subject.  Who can be prophetic?  Certainly it would be a great help to Hungary if Italy could remain a spectator, with a pronounced sense of neutrality, even if more of less in favour of one of the parties in conflict: this would help Hungary to maintain her policy.

Conditions here are still calm: many precautionary restrictions have been introduced, especially regarding the Press, which is under censorship in order that it should report the news with impartiality, without comments and without showing sympathy for one side or the other.  As Minister Csáky told me, the army has been increased to 80,000 men, while Rumania has got 600,000 men under arms.

Here ends the summary of the conversation.

The declaration of war by Great Britain which has taken place today and which will be followed, as I am told, by that of France, has not surprised anyone here, as was expected; indeed, both were expected last night.

For the moment Hungary has not taken, nor has the intention of taking, new precautionary measures but watches the development of events.

I shall endeavour to keep Your Eminence fully informed should I get news of some interest.  This report is being taken to Rome directly by Monsignor Principi of the Secretariat of State there. (5)

Notes: 

(1) Not published in ADSS.  This report demonstrated that the neutral powers valued the representations of the Holy See regarding Franco-Italian relations.

(2) István Csáky (1894-1941), Hungarian Foreign Minister 1938-41.

(3) As per note 1.

(4) Relata refero – literally – “I tell what I have been told”.  Originally from Herodotus and used as a disclaimer to emphasise the writer has not fabricated the recounted event.

(5) Primo Principi (1894-1975), Secretary in the Second Section of the Secretariat of State c1920-1965.

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

ADSS 6.16 Angelo to Rotta to Maglione

ADSS 6.16 Angelo Rotta, Hungary to Cardinal Maglione

Reference:  report number 2223/39; AES 2151/39

Location and date: Budapest, 15.04.1939

Summary statement: After several new developments, the nuncio provides information on the race laws and public attitude towards the “Jewish question”.

Language: Italian

Text:

The most salient fact of Hungarian political life these days was its exit from the League of Nations, which has been widely reported in the newspapers (1).  It did not come unexpectedly, as you see in my report number 1888/1938 of 9 January of that year (2) I had previously announced the news of that event which is reported in today’s news.  Count Csáky (3) from the ministry of Foreign Affairs has given extensive explanations on the Government’s conduct in this regard to both houses of Parliament.  These explanations were accepted as fully explained in both houses.  He brought the usual arguments against the League of Nations, such as they are, adding later a special topic such as the hostility or lack of consideration afforded by the League to Hungarian minorities in neighbouring countries.

The exit from the League of Nations also serves as part of the preparation for the trip of the Prime Minister, Count Teleki and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Csáky to Rome and Berlin. As your Eminence knows, they will depart for Rome on 17 April (4)

While the general political atmosphere is increasingly “red hot”, here in Hungary life here is relatively – very relative – calm, because foreign politics does not steer them from the current line of conduct, which results from Hungary’s accommodation in the Rome-Berlin axis: it is not possible then to accept invitations to alliances or positions that are contrary to the axis.

The Slovakian question, with the fixing of the border, is final, at least for the moment; with Yugoslavia relations are good; with Romania relations are tense, although this government does not intend to push things too far.  Indeed the National Socialist journal, “Magyaság” has been suspended for three months, apparently because it published a violent article against Romania and the province of Transylvania.  We must not, however, believe that their love for the Romanian government has led to this measure, but in reality, putting the newspaper out of action in recent months has more to do with taking away the main spokesman for the National Socialists or the Arrow Cross during a political election campaign. Now that they are a little weakened, the can give less trouble to the Government (5).

In view of the political elections, which will take place in all probability towards the end of may, the Government wishes to hasten the approval of the anti-Jewish laws and, if at all possible, to also approve agrarian reform.  They wish to present to the people, a concrete action, not only promises.

Today the Upper House, in full session, commenced the discussion of the anti-Jewish laws, after which the Commission will, at long last, present the modifications for the law in question. (6) The mood in the Upper House is largely favourable to the laws: there has been much discussion: taking part in the discussion for the Catholics were His Eminence the Cardinal Primate (7) and the bishop of Csanád, Glattfelder (8).  They were not able to obtain very much, because the Government does not feel confident that the Chamber of Deputies will approve modifications made by the Upper House, if they were too radical, leading to the possibility of a crisis, particularly dangerous in the current circumstances, and risk a new and more extreme Government, that would enact a harder law: in fact because of the long history of propaganda by the parties of the extreme right, it arousal of the public mind against the Jews would be too strong.  So today in the Upper House, His Eminence, Cardinal Seredi, opening the discussion of the proposal, took to the floor to declare among other things that the law as conceived does not match Catholic doctrine; but given the circumstances, in order to avoid a greater evil, by choosing the lesser evil, he would not oppose approval of the law. (See attachment) (9).

Then the law passed without a long discussion.  The principal amendment introduced considered who should not be considered a Jew in the sense of the law, and those who have been baptised at least twenty years and have been faithful in the observance of the Christian Religion and whose ancestors or parents have lived in Hungary from 1848 onwards (10).

The law is very confusing, it has been written by too many and it lacks a logical harmony as well as an accurately determined foundation.

The latest events in Albania (11) have had a positive press here; even if it has not been warmly received it has been understood.

Here in Hungary there are no shortages of concerns, and of the serious dangers that threaten peace in Europe and also by the necessity of being tied itself, to closely tied, to Germany.

Oh! If the wise words of the Holy Father pronounced in his Easter homily (12) are heard and accepted from high to low, you could really talk about peace, but …

Note of Tardini.

22.04.1939.  Look carefully at what he said of Cardinal Seredi.  Did he vote for or against? (13)

Notes:

(1) Hungary quit the League of Nations on 15.04.1939 having given notice of its intent to leave two years previously.

(2) Not published in ADSS.

(3) István Csaky (1894-1941), Foreign Minister 1938-1941.

(4) They were received by Pius XII on 21.04.1939.

(5) Hungarian Parliamentary elections were held on 28-29.05.1939.  The Arrow Cross party won 14.4% (29 / 260 seats) of the vote; the Hungarian National Socialist won 0.3% (no seats) of the vote.

(6) See ADSS 6.10.

(7) Justinian Seredi (1884-1945), bishop of Ezstergom 1927-1945.

(8) See ADSS 6.10 n3.

(9) The nuncio attached a copy of the 15.04.1939 edition of Pester Lloyd.

(10) According to the 1941 census there were 846,000 people (6.2%) considered Jewish according to the 1939 law.  Of that number 62,000 were Christian by religion although the real figure could have been as high as 100,000. See http://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/viewer.html?ev=1944&szam=01-03&old=1&lap=20 

(11) The Italian military occupation of Albania began on 07.04.1939.

(12) ADSS 1.7.

(13) Both Seredi and Glattfelder voted in favour of the law.