Hungary

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28257, 20 April 1957, Page 3

Hungary

Sir,—Your leading article on Hungary does an injustice to Imre Nagy in suggesting that he “could not hold back the Hungarian demand for independence.” He did not try to; he was for independehce and for a more democratic form of socialism, at one with most of the “freedom fighters.” It is now well established that not he, but Gero and Hegedus, called in the Soviet troops against the people. Obliged to yield to the clamour for Nagy to be premier, Gero and Hegedus did not even inform Nagy of his appointment, but used his name for inflammatory public announcements. This became known and Nagy received overwhelming support from the revolutionary councils of all types. A correspondent . in the “New Statesman and Nation” of April 6 says Nagy is not yielding ground under interrogation.—Yours, etc., TRUTH-SEEKER. April 19, 1957. [We had no wish to be unjust to Mr Nagy in suggesting that he might have preferred a more gradual revolution, on the lines of that introduced by Mr Gomulka in Poland, though carried further. If we are correct in our understanding, Mr Nagy would have chosen a course less likely to result in Russian intervention. We did not mean to imply that Mr Nagy called in Russian troops (if, in fact, they came in response to an invitation), because it has always seemed clear that Mr Nagy accepted the revolution and remained at its head.—Ed., “The Press.”]