Soc. Dem. Soc:

Hungarians in Masks

"I myself saw many corpses including many children lying dead in the streets " Thus spoke one of two masked men at a recent meeting of the Social Democrat Society. They were from Hungary who came to give members their impressions of the resolution, its causes and effects. Both men spoke through an interpreter.

The [unclear: first] speaker described the [unclear: beck] of individual freedom and the conditions existing in the universities at the time of the uprising and said that before even entering the university it was necessary to join [unclear: the] Communist Party.

"Freedom of religion was non-existent and the national anthem was forbidden" he said The second speaker described the grip exercised by the Government over the people and told of the indoctrination of the children to such an extent that parents were afraid to speak freely before their families for fear that they should be betrayed and of the formation of the AVO., the dreaded secret police. Both placed emphasis on the fact that the revolution was a popular uprising. "Hungary." they said "has been fighting for freedom throughout the centuries of her history. This was the tight of a whole nation for her freedom, for her life"

Their descriptions of the actual course of the revolution were not dissimilar. It began with a peaceful demonstration which had been sanctioned by the Government when over half a million people were in the streets of Budapest—the first time such a thing had happened for twelve years. The Government took fright at the size of the throng but it was too late to prohibit it. The crowd divided into three groups—one went to the radio station to make known to the nation the demands of the Budapest students for freedom of political opinion and assembly and the withdrawal of Russian troops Others attacked the Stalin monument while the thud group raided the headquarters of the A.V.O. from whence the obtained arms. There was fiting over Budapest and the first Russian armoured cars arrived. Martial law was declared and the revolutionaries with their light arms fought the Russian tanks and mines. Armed groups sent out to control the revolt against the Freedom fighters joined them against their oppressors. By the Saturday the Russians were asking for an armistice and promising to withdraw bill while the representatives of the Hungarian people were negotiating the Russian I groups were advancing and on 4th November they attacked in force. The Russians thought they could put the revolution down in a day but they were disappointed Sporadic fighting continued in Budapest and other parts of the country long after it was thought possible for the revolutionaries to hold out.

Over 21,000 were estimated to have been killed in the revolution but the determination to continue the resistance still continues. "Hungary's light for freedom was lost but not the [unclear: spirit] of her people who he await again the day when she can be flee "

—K.B.