In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

CONVERSATIONS 1934 [1] October 29, 19341 The approach of the Parliamentary session, in which it is generally known that the much promised and much discussed secret ballot will be introduced,2 has aroused considerable interest, and rumors of all kinds as to the character of the bill and its reception by Parliament are heard everywhere . Bethlen’s supporters are sure that he will defeat the bill and overturn the present Government; and Dr. Imrédy, Count Paul Teleki, KeresztesFischer , and most often Bethlen himself are prominently mentioned as Gömbös’ successor. Dr. Tibor Eckhardt, who is to handle the bill in Parliament, is quite certain that it will pass and that the Gömbös Government will continue in power. In my despatch No. 118 of June 21, 1934, I outlined Dr. Eckhardt’s plans based upon the full support of the Regent being given. Dr. Eckhardt now says that this support has been assured, that he personally had received the Regent’s word that he, the Regent, would dissolve Parliament and call for a new election if the present Parliament refuses to pass the bill as now approved by the Regent. With this assurance, Dr. Eckhardt says there will be no question of the final passage of the bill, regardless of the opposition of Count Bethlen and the banking interests behind him. Premier Gömbös will make known at the proper time to the Party of National Union, and if necessary to Parliament, the extent of the Regent’s support. At the present time the provisions of the bill, as well as the Regent’s approval, are known only to a few, according to Dr. Eckhardt — and this includes only a few members of the Cabinet. The bill permitting the Regent to dissolve Parliament was passed. 1 Based on a conversation with Tibor Eckhardt. 2 The plan of the Independent Smallholders Party (in Montgomery’s wording: Independent Farmers Party) to reform the suffrage was published at the end of August 1934, and discussion of the project dominated domestic politics for weeks. Eckhardt hoped that the secret ballot to be introduced would strengthen the Smallholders to such an extent that Gömbös would keep his power only through cooperating with Eckhardt. In connection with the German commercial treaty, Dr. Eckhardt told me practically the same thing as Mr. Lucian Zell had told me previously: to wit, that the Germans had purchased a lot of Hungarian goods, turned the money into the Reichsbank which promptly blocked it. In the meantime, the Germans, instead of using the goods in Germany, sold them in foreign markets at reduced prices, greatly injuring Hungary’s regular trade in these markets. Now Hungary finds herself with 30 million marks (according to Mr. Zell) or 15 millions (according to Dr. Eckhardt) frozen in the German Reichsbank. As a result, there is a great shortage of foreign exchange and the National Bank has refused practically every permit for the use of blocked pengô during the last week. In fact, at the present time there is practically nothing a blocked pengô can be used for. Dr. Eckhardt, who is popularly picked as de Kánya’s successor as Foreign Minister because of his great success last September at Geneva, denies emphatically that there is any possibility of going into any Government in the near future.3 He does not deny that he is having an increasing influence in the direction of foreign policy; in fact, he says that he has a free hand in the settlement of any question that comes before the League, and that gradually he expects partly to direct Hungarian foreign policy. de Kánya is a very sick man and not able actually to act as Foreign Minister. Under present conditions it is desirable for him to remain. Dr. Eckhardt assured me, however, that if there is a change the next man would be the one who took orders from him, Eckhardt. Dr. Eckhardt’s reason for not desiring to go into the Government at the present time is that he believes it is advisable to keep his own party intact until after the next election. If the secret ballot passes he is sure he will have the largest number of deputies in the next Parliament; then his position in the Government will be on quite a different basis than were he to enter now. Dr. Eckhardt says he favors a more conciliatory policy towards the neighboring States and settling minor differences...

Share