HUNGARY: How War Came

One year ago Hungary, Slovakia and Rumania declared war on the U.S. In Budapest last week the war-weary Hungarians told an apocryphal story of how their declaration of war had been relayed to President Roosevelt by U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

Hull: “Mr. President, Hungary has just declared war on us.”

Roosevelt: “You don’t say? What is Hungary?”

Hull: “Hungary is a small Balkan kingdom on the Danube.”

Roosevelt: “A kingdom? Who’s the king?”

Hull: “Hungary has no king. It is run by an Admiral.”

Roosevelt: “An Admiral? Where’s his navy?”

Hull: “He has no navy, only an army.”

Roosevelt: “An army? Where is it fighting?”

Hull: “It is fighting against Russia.”

Roosevelt: “Russia? What is it fighting Russia for?”

Hull: “To gain more territory.”

Roosevelt: “From Russia?”

Hull: “No, from Slovakia and Rumania.”

Roosevelt: “Then why don’t the Hungarians fight Slovakia and Rumania?”

Hull: “They can’t. Slovakia and Rumania are their allies.”