Arthur R. Butz – The Hoax Of The Twentieth Century

Chapter 5: The Hungarian Jews
Stamped and handwritten notations.
NG-5637: Typed memo from Wagner to Steengracht, dated May 21, 1943.
Wagner reports a visit from the Hungarian Ambassador. Difficulties relating to
solution of the Jewish problem in Hungary were discussed. The deportations
would have to be carried out in stages and, in order not to alarm those left behind,
the ones deported should be allowed “a possibility to earn a living, at least for a
short period.” Stamped and signed by Wagner.
NG-5684: Typewritten copy of a telegram from Veesenmayer to Ribbentrop,
dated July 6. A six page report of a conference with Horthy, who mentioned that
“he received a flood of telegrams every day from all quarters abroad and at home,
for instance from the Vatican, from the King of Sweden, from Switzerland, from
the Red Cross and other parties,” in regard to the Hungarian Jews. He advocated
keeping Jewish physicians and also the Jewish labor companies who had been assigned
to war related tasks. Veesenmayer told him that “the solution of the Jewish
question […] was carried out by Hungary [but] could never [have been] completed
without [SS and SD] support.” Initialed by Steengracht.
A few words on the general conditions under which this documents analysis
was carried out are in order before proceeding to interpret this evidence. Unless
one goes to Washington to examine original documents, what one typically has
made available when a specific document is examined may consist of as many as
four parts. First, there may be a photostatic copy of the original document. This
happens only in a minority of cases. The other three parts are almost always available.
First, there is the mimeographed reproduction, in German, of the original
document. Thus, instead of any handwritten material, there is typewritten material
that is indicated as having been handwritten. Second, there is the English translation
of this German language document. Third, there is the accompanying descriptive
material, the “staff evidence analysis.” Among the four parts, quite a few minor
contradictions were noted in the course of the study. In addition, a very few
documents were missing from the collection examined.
It might be said, with good grounds, that certain of these documents should not
be in the list, because they admit of many interpretations other than transport of
the majority of Hungarian Jews to the Reich. NG-2424 is of this nature; we have
seen that the proposed Budapest action finally took place in October. NG-5533
and NG-5684 admit of many interpretations; with respect to the latter, there is no
doubt that some Hungarian Jews were deported to the Reich specifically for labor
and the document may be interpreted in that respect.
Nevertheless, it is obvious that I must declare, at this point, that a quite considerable
amount of forgery was involved in the production of these documents; they
were written after the war. That the events the documents speak of, involving over
400,000 Hungarian Jews transported to the Reich (or Poland) in May – July of
1944, did not occur is a certainty, for reasons given. However there are grounds
for a certain uneasiness here because forgery does not seem to have been practiced
with respect to the parts of the Auschwitz extermination legend which have
been examined up to this point. Forgery is a risky business. Thus, although forgery
seems a certainty, we should wish for some independent evidence for a
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