Former P.M. regrets uprising invitation

Press, 27 May 1985, Page 11

Former P.M. regrets uprising invitation

NZPA-AP Washington The former Hungarian Prime Minister, Andras Hegedus, who called in Soviet troops in 1956 to quell the uprising against Communist rule, now says his decision was wrong, according to Radio Free Europe — the United States Governmentfunded radio station that played a big role in the events. “I am ashamed, I was wrong. I must share responsibility for the fate of Hungary after 1945 — above all, for having imposed a foreign system on the Hungarian nation,” Mr Hegedus is quoted as saying in a taped interview that the Radio Free Europe said it conducted recently. As many as 7000 Hungarians died when Soviet troops put down the uprising. William Buell, Radio Free Europe’s vice-president for United States operations, said that Mr Hegedus, who was expelled from the Hungarian Communist party in 1973, had been interviewed outside the Soviet bloc. He would not disclose where. The station has begun broadcasting 10 hours of

interviews with Mr Hegedus that have been published in Hungarian in Austria, as a book. A statement issued by Radio Free Europe said that Mr Hegedus made the point that he was named Prime Ministser in April, 1955, during a period of ferment when reforms by the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, gave many Eastern Europeans the idea that Communism might be replaced. Hungarian writers and intellectuals, always influential in the country, had agitated for change, he said. In October, 1956, there were demonstrations and on October 23 the revolt against the Communist Government broke out in the capital, Budapest. Many Hungarians listened to Radio Free Europe, which was then financed by the United States Central Intelligence Agency and had many Hungarian exiles on its staff. After the revolt was put down, some Hungarians said that the broadcasts had given them the hope that the United States would intervene. The management said that it had no intention of giving any such idea.

There was no Western intervention. Mr Hegedus is quoted as saying that the question of using Soviet troops was first broached in a telephone conversation between Yuri Andropov — then Soviet Ambassador to Hungary, later the party chief — and Erno Gero, first secretary of the Hungarian Communist Party. Mr Hegedus said that all members of the Hungarian Government were willing to sign a memorandum asking the Soviets to restore order except Imre Nagy, who became Prime Minister next day and was later shot by the Russians. “I can still see the scene: Gero following Nagy around with this memorandum in his hand, Nagy quickening his step until Gero was almost running after him,” Mr Hegedus said. “Then Gero and Andropov, seeing no other way out, asked me to sign. I signed. It seemed to me at the time quite natural that I should do so. After all, I had taken part in the decision and shared the responsibility.” “It would hardly have been honourable not to sign.