Melinda Kalmár
Under Western Eyes
Fifties Cultural Policy in British Diplomatic Dispatches
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The dispatches of the British Legation in March and October 1954 throw light on the frequent political and cultural policy turns following the 1953 changes. An article published in Szabad Nép, the national CP daily on March 15th, 1954, indicates a temporary setback suffered by those supporting Nagy, and the strengthening of the orthodox, leftist supporters of arch-Stalinist Mátyás Rákosi. The writers of these dispatches, however, clearly perceived that, almost independently of the erratic movement of political forces, there existed a steady, complex process, amplified by instability at the top. Its two interrelated features were disintegration in the higher echelons of the establishment and the transformation of literary life.
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With reference to our letter No. 1011 S of April 20 about recent unrest in the Writers' Federation, we now have information about a further meeting which took place on April 27.
2. As before, the Party showed its interest in the proceedings by sending Béla Szalai, Márton Horváth and Erzsébet Andics to preside at the meeting, the purpose of which was to elect a new secretary of the Association. Since the original revolt the secretaryship has been held by Aladár Tamás who was appointed by the Party (Miss Galbraith's letter no. 1011 of January 20). Tamás, as a protégé of Rákosi and chairman of Szikra, the State Publishing House, was known as a good Party man and supporter of authority, and ever since his appointment there has been constant agitation from within the Association for his removal. The Party finally gave way early in April and agreed to hold an election. An official candidate was produced, one Csabai, who is said to be an AVH officer from Eger and is certainly unknown as a writer (it has even been suggested that he is not even a member of the Association, but we cannot check this). This candidate was proposed to the meeting but was opposed in a long speech by Col. Gábor Devecseri, who is a teacher at the Army Officers High School. (He has translated both Greek and Latin and English poetry into Hungarian and is a much respected writer: he was mentioned—much to his pleasure, apparently—in the Times Literary Supplement on April 13.) He demanded that the constitution of the Association should be observed and that the members of the meeting should be allowed to put forward a candidate. One of the members of the Praesidium (we believe it was Miss Andics) made the feeble excuse that there was no suitable candidate, but Devecseri at once proposed Géza Képes, who was elected almost unanimously. Képes is the son of a village blacksmith, and is a poet and translator. In 1947 he edited a book of English poetry entitled "The Singing Island". After several years of obscurity during the Stalinist period he was given, in 1953, the position of manager of the "Magvetô" publishing company. This election has been greeted by the members of the Federation as a great triumph over the Party, despite the fact that in the eyes of the extreme rightwing both Devecseri and Képes are Party men.
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specializes in the literature of the fifties and cultural and media policies of the period.
