Hungary - The Unwilling Satellite

AMERICA'S RESPONSIBILITY

IN THE American and British zones of occupation, the trend is to provide a way for the people to make their own living - - directly the reverse of the Russian policy. It had looked as though we had settled down to a long occupation with the idea that the American taxpayer would indefinitely furnish food and supplies, not only for inhabitants of our zones of occupation, but also for those of the Russian zone.

Before the war fifty percent of the exports of Czechoslovakia went to Germany. In the case of other Danubian countries, the percentage was even larger. The exports of England, France, Belgium, Holland and the Scandinavian countries to Germany were very important to the economies of those countries. With Germany prostrate, not even able to support herself, and divided up into zones with no common purpose in mind, this could not but affect adversely the recovery of all of Europe. Should a central section of the U.S.A. containing eighty million people be permanently ruined, the rest of the country would very soon be in the same condition.

In keeping Germany prostrate the Alliespretended fear where the danger no longer existed, in order to appease Stalin who determined our attitude. He too is no longer afraid of Germany. His aim apparently is to push Soviet rule forward into the very heart of Europe, and for this reason he needs a new order which brings, in reality, anarchy.

The economic conditions of Europe are inherently at variance with the doctrines of the Morgenthau plan. They offer the development of German agriculture as a substitute for German industry. But they forget that German agriculture cannot be developed without German industry, because the farmer would stop producing for the market if he were unable to buy industrial articles with his proceeds. He could buy foreign articles, but would we or England be prepared to deliver these in exchange for German foodstuffs? As a matter of fact, German agriculture was so highly developed before the war that there remains a very small margin for future improvement.

Europe, despite its political fissures, was an economic unit. For the rest of the European continent, Germany was the decisive buyer and seller. If this situation had not been in existence, Hjalmar Schacht would not have been able to misuse it for the purpose of furthering Germany's war economy. That situation is not unalterable. But it cannot be changed by the economic destruction of Germany which does not enrich, but impoverishes Europe - - including Great Britain.

The striking similarity between the situation that existed before the last war and that which exists today cannot be ignored. The difference is that today there is only one supreme power in Europe, Russia, and opposition to her is still hesitant and disorganized. Europe itself is prostrate. Generally speaking, all over eastern Europe, particularly in Soviet- occupied countries, the importance of the individual has been reduced. He has never been respected there as in the Anglo- Saxon world, but the evil teaching of Hitler's state worship, superseded by the Soviet denial of basic human rights and care for the masses, in which the individual hardly figures, has made men and women desperately conscious of their insignificance. Nazi Germany has been defeated, but true democracy meets everywhere practically insurmountable difficulties. Millions of people live in a lamentable state. Not only are there incredible physical sufferings in consequence of the hardships of war, but there are moral sufferings which are much greater and harder to bear.

In all these huge regions of Europe under Soviet domination, no one is sure of his life, his liberty or his property. There is no more human dignity. As one Hungarian diplomat has written me, ". . . the Bolsheviks take our women, our children, our homes, our daily bread, and yet we dare not complain. You are obliged to be delighted and to thank these profane Red liberators." Freedom from want, the prerequisite of normal behavior, cannot be said to exist in eastern Europe, and freedom from fear is a phrase that has become a mockery.

Some people are perhaps wondering why the communists, who are now in the saddle in Warsaw, Belgrade, Bucharest, Sofia, Prague (and as of May 1947, Budapest), are taking such great pains to mislead us. Why all the camouflage? Why do they not openly confess what they are doing? The reason is that they are still in need of our help. To me, the most charming feature of Marxism has always been the admission that socialism must take over the nation at the highest peak of capitalistic prosperity. This does not express great self- confidence. The Poles, Czechs and Yugoslavs who are telling us that the economic chaos left by the Germans can only be overcome by socialistic planning and regimentation are, at the same time, stormy applicants for American gifts and loans. They are quite certain that we shall feed the serpent which yearns to bruise our heels. Perhaps they are right. Did the UNRRA not obey Titos orders? We Americans cannot get over the idea that if we do not want war, we won't have it. Certainly, no sane human wants war. We did not go to war with Germany and Japan because we wanted war; we went to war because finally we realized that we had no choice. It is hard for the man on the street to believe that some incident which happens in Iran is of any particular importance so far as he is concerned. Russia wants oil. Well, what does he care? To the man on the street, oil is of interest only to big capitalists; it has nothing to do with him. So, why bother? Actually, these incidents are of greatest importance because of what they portend. Time after time, Hitler could have been stopped, and the second World War could have been prevented, if we had faced facts instead of believing in what we wished to be true. A third World War is certainly not improbable, in fact it is quite possible. It can be avoided; but not by the same methods that we used with Hitler, which would prove futile all over again.

Our diplomatic service is certainly equal to or better than that of any other country. Our greatest difficulty, however, is that our foreign policy is subjected to internal politics. Consequently, shifts and changes occur where stability is needed. It was heartbreaking to see a great leader, as President Roosevelthad been, sacrificing American principles for the sake of political expediency. After his death, in the decisive period when the war came to an end, when everything was still fluid, weak leadership and internal leftist opposition within the Democratic Party deprived this country of its freedom of action, stalemated its efforts to bring about a measure of international justice and transformed our military victory into the biggest political disaster we ever suffered.

Stalins will became supreme, for he alone knew what he wanted and could pursue his policy of imperialism and oppression with determination, while America was desperately trying to appease his insatiable greed. On February 9, 1946, Stalins blunt speech revealed the futility of the American policy of appeasement. Since then, we have established a foreign policy which is grounded on American principles and is accepted on a bipartisan basis by the majority of the nation. But can anything be done this late? Can peaceful methods be applied where force has already accomplished so many brutal facts? The world has not been, since the Dark Ages, in such a chaotic and distressed condition. A moral force is needed, and what country other than the United States could supply it? We are in the focus where the desperate hopes of a tortured humanity converge. To what other place on earth could they be directed? Certainly not to Moscow, the main source of oppression. Perhaps to London, where the voice of decency has never been silenced. But Great Britain has to climb a steep path to her own recovery. Only we have some practical, surplus strength left. The manner in which we use it will decide whether we shall reap humanity's curse or humanity's blessing. The responsibility to a large degree is ours because we are the one nation that could bring order out of chaos. Upon whether, when, and how we meet that responsibility the future of the world depends.

Hungary - The Unwilling Satellite