§ 123. Major Pooleasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on recent developments in Hungary.
§ 127. Professor Savoryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a further statement to the House with regard to the recent coup d'état in Hungary; and whether he has instructed the British representative on the Allied Control Commission to protest against the action of the Soviet chairman in imposing a new Prime Minister on Hungary.
§ 129. Mr. Chamberlainasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British Mission in Budapest was fully consulted in reference to the recent negotiations with Mr. Nagy which resulted in his resignation from the premiership of Hungary and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. McNeilI understand that the immediate ca use of the crisis in Hungary was the receipt of a Note by the Hungarian Government on 29th May from the Soviet Chairman of the Allied Control Commission refusing a request which had been made by the Prime Minister for the return to the Hungarian authorities of Mr. Kovacs Bela, one-time Secretary-General of the Smallholders Party, who had been arrested by the Soviet authorities for alleged offences against the Soviet forces of occupation. It is alleged that during his imprisonment by the Soviet authorities Mr. Kovacs Bela made a number of statements discreditable to members of the Hungarian Government. On receipt of this communication, the Hungarian Prime Minister resigned and a new Government was formed under the previous Minister for War, Mr. Dinnyes.
At no stage have either the British Representative on the Allied Control Commission or the British Political Represen- 68W tative in Budapest been consulted by either the Soviet or Hungarian authorities, in spite of the fact that as one of the three Powers entrusted with the enforcement of the armistice with Hungary His Majesty's Government have a right to be consulted on such matters. I have, therefore, asked, through the British Representative on the Allied Control Commission in Budapest, to be furnished with copies of the documents concerned; so far they have not been provided. I have also instructed His Majesty's Ambassador in Moscow to discuss the whole question with the Soviet Government with a view to obtaining an elucidation of what has occurred in Hungary and a clarification of Soviet policy towards that country.
Pending receipt of the further information for which I am asking it would be premature for His Majesty's Government to pass judgment on what has happened. I can only say that we shall judge the new Government by its actions, and that His Majesty's Government hope that these changes in the structure of the Hungarian Government will not lead to any departure from the principles of Parliamentary democracy. Any such developments could not fail to have serious repercussions upon Anglo-Hungarian relations.