Evening star., 1950-03-04
'U.S.NoteRejects
Request toCut
Hungary Staff
Red Regime Accused
Of Horming Relations
With This Country
BY the Associated Press

1ne Onlted states today re-
Jected Hungarian request that
it consider reducing it's diplomatic
staff at Budapest. 1t also ac-
cused Communist Hungary of
damaging relations between Hun
gary and the United States.
The department announced
that an American note was de-
livered by the Legation in Buda-
pest to the Foreign Affairs Min
lstry. 1t was reply to a
Communist government note of
February %. asking the United
States to consider slashing the
Legation rolls.
The Hungarian request was
based on Communist spy charges
against the Legation made during
the recent trial of American busi-
nessman Robert Vogeler. The
United States again assailed those
charges as "preposterous false
hoods"
Inquiry Called Improper"
Because of the nature of the
Vogeler trial and the "groundless
charges" against the Legation
staff, the American note said, the
inquiries in the Hungarian note
as to whether the United States
would consider reducing its Lega-
ton staff were improper and
irrelevant"
This Government also refused
to consider revoking it's ban
against the travel of United States
citizens in Hungary, affirmed it's
intention to keep closed Hun
garian consulates in New York and
Cleveland. and rejected charges
that Hungarian employees of the
Budapest Legation are mostly
spies or "Fascists."
Then the United States note
made it's own accusations against
the Hungarian Red regime:
THE Hungarian government,
by its recent actions detrimental
to the rights and personal safety
OF American citizens, by it's treat
ment Of American interests in
Hungary. and by it's restrictions
on the exercise of protective func-
tions by American consular off,
GERS, has itself created a situation
prejudicial to the conduct of nor
NAL diplomatic. consular and COM
mercial relations.
Staff Already Slashed.
Actually, because of this abb
normal situation. the United
States already has slashed it's Le-
cation staff below the number of
persons needed "for the conduct
of normal relations with a friend
ly government, the note said. It
added stiffly:
THE United States Government
will continue to adjust the COM
position of Legation staff in ac-
cordance with its own Judgment
OF its requirments and, in doing
so. it will. of course, take into
account the arbitrary attitude Of
the Hungarian government"
The tone of the note was milder
than that taken by the State De-
partment when the Bulgarian gov
ernment demanded in January
that American Minister Donald
Heath be called home and ac-
cused him of being a Spy" In
that case the United States threat
ened to break diplomatic relations
if the Bulgarians persisted, and
two weeks ago relations were
broken with Bulgaria.
Minister Not Attached.
The present situation, however,
is somewhat different. The Hun
garian minister did not so much
demand as request consideration
of the reduction of the Legation
staff. Hungary did not directly
attack American Minister Ma
thaniel P. Davis.
The Hungarian note had listed
% American Legation officials in
Budapest, including seven military
officers; 48 employees, clerks and
the like. of American nationality;
and 103 Hungarian employees.