EVALUATION OF STATUS, CHANGES, AND WORK OF THE HUNGARIAN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A007600660003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 4, 2012
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 6, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified- in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/04: CIA-RDP80-00926A007600660003-5
1 U.S. Officials Only
.CORFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY 14?WI
SUBJEC
?Ion of Status Changes- and Work of
garian Geological? Society
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THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
Of THE UNITED STATES. WITHiWTHEMEANING OF TITLE IN. SECTIONS 71I3
794. OF THE U.S. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION. OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED' PERSON IS
BIT 0 BY A,. THE EPROD CTION OF TV S REPORT IS PROHIBITED
THIS IS UNEVALUATED
DATE DISTR. 6.C.l954
'NO'. OF PAGES.
.3
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NO. OF ENCLS.
. The Hungarian'Geological Society was simply an independent scientific discussion
group before Communists seized Hungary. The State Geological Survey performed
many types of scientific geological eploration for Hungary; MAORT L-71agYar
Amerikai OlajiPari BaszvanYtarasag peX;ormed and exploited the bulk of petro-
leum exploration. Neither asked for n6. received assistance or advice from the
Society. Neither the State Geological Survey nor MAORT activities were
discussed in the Geological Society. Since 1948 this has changed.
the Society is strongly backing the State Geological Survey with
advice and assistance. Elemer Vadasz
made
this change in the Society's activity. In 1951 he was attempting to introduce
a militant spirit of attending lectures, absorbing and echoing bombastic propa-
ganda, and visiting the USSR and 39tellites. the Society
is interfering in activities of the Hungarian-USSR oil comPany that took over
MAORT holdings.
the fawning references to the USSR
did not appear until after 1950. Then in 1951 and later even the opening of
Society meetings began with praise of "our glorious ally and great friend, the
USSR". Vadasz demanded that the scientist be a politician following the Marl.-
Lenin principles. Science and industry must work in Communist cooperatton
against the enemy. BY direction and indirection'the USSR and-flSatellite 50X1 -HUM
scientists are praised. A. USSR man, 11Eaftinole, is
claimed to be the father of geological education. Many references and
quotations are made concerning USSR scientists and their materials. Conversely
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D ISTR IBUTI ON mio STATE ARMY'FBI
IAIR
NAVY
This, report is for the use within the USA of the Intelligence components of the Departments or
Agencies indicated above. It is not to be transmitted overseas without the concurrence of the
originating office through the Assistant Director of the Office fl Collection and Dissemination, CIA.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/04: CIA-RDP80-00926A007600660003-5
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all references to those from the Free World are eliminated. This means that
science in Hungary is being .dictated and ianot free. Political interpretations
are given emphasis even in-reviews of books. For instancel'the geological
theories of the scientist Ldnne are used to show that he Opposed the church in
his day'and was therefore :a .Commnniat.
4. The members of the Society appear for the most part to be doing the same work
with the same characteristics that ;they had before 1947. Vadasz and George
Kertai
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Oappear (1951) to be tfte.dominant forces in the organization.
This is characteristic of their jealously suspicious hunger for power and their
zeal to organize and reorganize activities which will reflect glory on their
administrative skills. Vadasz was president of the Society until 1951; when he
was replaced by a trusted colleague. Kertai became secretary in 1951, having
been editor prior to that time,
r-
This group has created a new geological hieschool at Nagykanizsa Lapprox
46?57'N -- l6?587 which was the field centbr of MAORT operations. Creation of
this school is Undoubtedly an effort to show how active and hard working. Vadasz
and Kertai' are.
Personnel Trouble
In 1951 all was obviously, not well in the Society. This is indicated by a speech
of Kertai in which he admonishes the group that, "Everyone must' cooperate! Our
geological 'work is often obstructed by personalities who hinder us and gossip
behind each ethers' backs. Such dangerousEpirit only aids our enemies. We may
be sure that such destructive force is actuated by the hand of the political
enemy who enjoys seeing the activity-slacken and the spirit falter. Without
mercy we must arise and'destroy all gossiping cliques and petty criticisms. We
must have constructive and hard critics but we will not receive that from the
enemy." Vadasz' comment "Onthis speech was that he agreed completely with
comrade Kertai.
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evidence of ,the same old jealous biekerings that had been customary before 1948.
For instance, Tibor. Szalai read a paper about the geological formations in a
certain area. When he finished, J\--Ardelyi,aSked. the nasty question, why had
Szalai failed to mention the tectoAic fault line at Morif In 'a meeting of
geological scientists this is as insulting as reminding a historian speaking of
the presidents of the US that he had failed to mention 'US Grant.
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Evaluation of Society
the members of the Society
perform the same quality of:work:as in- 1947.. In 1951, hoWeverl'members were
obviously being forced to Produce greater quantitieS of, work and publiSh more
with no improvement in quality.. Many of their articles' are superfinIal,':-VoT 50X1-HUM
instance, a 1953 article by. Charles Sebestyen
"Simple Apparatus for-the Detertitation of the Magnetic-SUseeptibility of '
Rocks", failed even to'mentiOn that the rock must be pulverized before-proper
measurement ean be made., Before 1948 nothing could induce some geologists to
write artieles. Ladislas Facainay 50X1-HUM
19)1 Facsinay had articles in the Society Bulletin.
Facsinav. Charles Kantas
never published..
However, by
and Stephen H.S.z'
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and Laszlo Egyed can provide new and
competent material in their fields and are probably Hungary's best men., None of
these persons are qualified to 'discover new oil fields or to arrive at any
revolutionary new ideas in oil exploration techniques or equipment.
CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
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10. The society still has (1953) many adequately competent scientists who work like
slaves and do much.,-research_and publication. However, their work shows no
revelation-or evidence ol techniques, which will help in oil exploration. For
instance, the, article in the 1949 'hazy geimemorative issue of Foldtani,KOzlemy
pretends to discuss important, new geological findings,. Actually, the MA.ORT
maps and explorations,' prior to 1947, s.re-- basis of the article. In a 1951
issue of the same publication a USSR petroleum man Varencov, a pro essor and
director of the` Moscow Geophysical Survey, reported his ,observations df;.
_
Hungarian oil areas and activities. His report contained nothing about
_
discoverion that were not known in 1946 to MAORT personnel.
- end.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/04: CIA-RDP80-00926A007600660003-5