UNITED STATES DELEGATION PAPERS



CFM Files
Memorandumn? by Mtr. John C. Campbell. Secretary, United States
                           Delegation 42

                                        PARIS, September 2, 1946.
  HUNGARIAN CLAIM FOR THE RECTIFICATION OF THE HUNGARIAN-
                       RUMANIAN FRONTIER
  The territorial claim put forward by Hungary at the joint meeting
of the Hungarian and Rumanian Commissions on August 31, 1946 43
is based purely on ethnic considerations. It is about the same as the
hypothetical ethnic line worked out in the Department which is
shown in the upper left-hand corner of the attached cartogram.44
  The population in the territory claimed, according to the census
of 1930, is 489,147. According to the criterion of declared nationality
261,169 (53.4%) of these people are Hungarians while 141,353 (28.9%)
are Rumanians. According to the criterion of mother tongue, 320,680
(65.6%) are Hungarian-speaking while 127,098 (26%) are Rumanian-
speaking. The figure of 67% given by Mr. Auer in his speech is un-
doubtedly based on the latter criterion. The principal reason for the
considerable difference in these figures is that some 45,000 Jews and
and 15,000 Germans in this territory in 1930 spoke Hungarian but
declared themselves in the census to be Jews and Germans respectively.
The figures on language are too favorable to the Hungarians; those on
nationality are probably somewhat prejudiced in favor of the Ru-
manians. A balanced estimate would be that some 55 to 58 percent
of the population is Hungarian in national sentiment and 26 to 28
percent is Rumanian.
  It is thus apparent that a cession of territory based on the Hungarian
claim would reduce the number living under alien rule, at the maxi-
mum, by less than 200,000. 150,000 would be a reasonable estimate,
taking into account the fact that many of the Jews and Germans
which inhabited this territory in 1930 are no longer there, and even
if they were there, might have no preference for Hungarian as opposed
to Rumanian rule.
  In making their claim the Hungarians have proposed a frontier
which takes no account of economic and geographic factors and cuts
off the cities of Szatmar (Satu-Mare), Nagyvarad (Oradea Mare),
and Arad from their hinterland to the east and even from their im-

' This memorandum was directed to Ambassadors Harriman and Smith.
4 For the United States Delegation Journal account of the First Joint Meeting
of the Political and Territorial Commissions for Rumania and Hungary, August
31, see vol. iII, p. 330.
4 Not printed.



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