Evening star., 1941-04-14
Criticizes Tribute to
Count eIeki
Dorothy Thompson Held
To Have Distorted
Hunqory's Role

nuH9oIyS Noie
To the Editor OF The Star:
The deliberate misuse Of words, the
perversion and Misrepresentation Of
self-evident truths and established facts
are the everyday working tools of to-
talitarian propaganda.
The democratic historian, therefore,
not only should have the most COM
plete knowledge and comprehension Of
facts, but also, by clear, Unconditional
thinking and thorough sense of values,
must distinguish between facts as they
are and as they appear when presented
by the propagandists.
Miss Dorothy Thompson, whose ad-
mirable activity as recorder for de-
mocracy certainly entities her to high
place on any totalitarian blacklist,
I am sure, would agree with this.
1t is all the more bewildering, there
fore, to read Miss ThompSon's column
in your issue of April 7. Indeed it
would be difficult to conceive a more
thorough confusion of issues than this
lyrical elegy to the memory of Count
Teleki.
Not content with "de mortuis nil nisi
bene," Miss Thompson proceeds to sing
an impassioned panegyric on Hungary's
present plight. With a complete dis
regard for the historic evidence, the
existence of which she acknowledges,
Miss Thompson finds it In her heart to
shed tear on the abortive but noble
ideals and on the European" role that
progressive but misunderstood little
Hungary might have played had not
Hitler stepped in.
Now it is good strategy to reserve the
heaviest shot in the locker for the arch
fiend. 1t is also good strategy to seek
allies or potential friends, no matter
how small and how remote, even among
those already fallen under the jugger-
naut.
But to extol the virtues, potential or
otherwise, of the jackal who finally falls
prey to the raging lion seems to serve
no useful purpose in the cause of de-
mocracy.
Only by completely disregarding
Hungary's true role in the present Euro
pean conflict can one accept as genuine
the stock phrases so glibly mouthed by
Hungarian propaganda and so totally
unsubstantiated in fact Let us not
blind ourselves to the fact that Hungary
has fallen victim to the Vaccinations
and perfidy of her own policy makers
since 1918
Let us not apply the terms of progress
sive" and democratic" to what was
and still is the most reactionary, back
ward and feudal system that any coun-
try could invent and tolerate.
Let us not confuse the magnificent
marble Parliament building in Budapest
government.
Above all, let us not mistake plausible
| double dealing for high-minded states
manship nor sly lip service for true faith
in the cause of democracy.
What is Hungarys record in European
politics? She came out on the losing
side in 1918 and since that date has
concentrated dll IeT eI1OIJS 10 reverse
the dictates" of Trianon.
In passing, let me remind the reader,
and incidentally Miss Thompson, that
in the summer of 1919, when Hungary
| came to within an inch of becoming a
| Communist Soviet republic under the
notorious Bella Kun, the Rumanian
Army had, with the approval of the
Allies. the thankless task of smashing
the Hungarian Communist regime and
of occupying Budapest to restore order.
Thus 1t happened that the occupation
| by the Rumanians that had looted the
country"-as Miss Thompson puts it
| helped to bring about the subsequent
regime in Hungary. The persistent pol
| icy of that regime has been that of the
rest of the "have-nots" in Europe. 1t
| can hardly be called a constructive con-
| tribution to the Versailles and Geneva
conception of European order.
We are told by Miss Thompson that
Hungary had treaty with Yugoslavia.
No Magyar strikes down his friend.
Better death than breach of faith!"
Beautiful words, but what lies beneath
them?
We find Hungary taking the initiative
In offering Yugoslavia, with magnifi-
cent flourish, a pact of everlasting
friendship. Does not this betray an
awakening anxiety for none too reas-
suring future in the axis camp? Did the
growing reverses of Italy's armies in
Africa and in the Balkans play no role
in this last-minute conversion? Did
Germany's failure to invade England
have no bearing on this futile and tardy
| gesture?
After signing of the Yugoslav pact,
Hungary was faced with concrete de-
mands by Germany. She also was faced
with news of the pledge made by the