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PART III - SEARCHING FOR HELP
CHAPTER 1 - IN THE IMPERIAL CITY

in Vienna were anxious to see him. I would have liked to have met him, but I realized that, with all the top politicians and leaders of large organizations, who had excellent connections, my chances were very slim. In any case, how could the VicePresident of the U. S. receive a refugee politician?
I mentioned my desire to Mr. Buttinger. He said that he would use his own connections as well as those of the I.R.C., and perhaps I would have a chance to meet Mr. Nixon. In any case, he suggested I should have a memorandum ready.
Just before Christmas, Mr. Nixon arrived. He did not believe in protocol. The first night after his arrival he went out to the Austrian-Hungarian border.
On December 20th, the U. S. ambassador called me. He informed me that the following evening Mr. Nixon would receive me. That would also be the occasion for me to present my memorandum.
The next evening I was there in the ambassador's study where many people surrounded a dark-haired young man. His informal behavior impressed me immediately. When I was introduced to him, in a few English sentences I expressed my thanks to him for receiving me. I then suggested that we continue our discussion through an interpreter. Mr. Nixon, however, told me that he understood me quite well, and we could continue in English without an interpreter. He started by asking me a few questions.
He wanted to know if I understood the moral dilemma that the U. S. was facing. If they gave special help to the Hungarian refugees, then more and more people would leave Hungary. That would mean a very serious loss to my country. If they didn't give the refugees their support, they would be in an impossible moral position. I was quite surprised by this question, for I never saw the facts in this light. My answer may have sounded naive, for it was along the following lines:
The U. S. was strong enough to solve the whole Hungarian