Diaries: 1943 January 14-1943 May 26; 1943 May 27-1943 October 13; Loose material from diaries

39 Febr. [February] 13.Saturday. By no means, peace-treaties after the last war had been very bad but still, the worst of peace is better than war.

Mr Roosevelt’s recent radio speech promised not to treat badly the people of Europe. We had been treated so abominably by Germany, let us see the contrary.

Commentators upon the Churchill – Roosevelt declarations seem sure about the war being finished by the end of this year. I could wait patiently for ages and ages if only I would have letters from you. The Stockholm address is no more as the Poszáys are in Sofia from now on.

Febr. [February] 14. Sunday. And still nothing happened. I was almost sure that about the 15th Febr. [February] the invasion of Europe will have begun. May be, shipping losses are so heavy that operations must be postponed.

It is the second day I have to stay in bed as the

40 acidity [strikethrough] state [/strikethrough] of my stomach is worse again, autumn and spring used to exacerbate it for some weeks. I am sure, as soon I can get plenty of milk and good bread and butter, bacon, cream, there will be no trouble at all with my hyperacidity.

Febr. [February] 15. Monday Absolute airsuperiority on side of the allies is beyond question. Yesterday only the following places have been bombed: Tours, Naples, L’Orient, Milan, Cologne, all big scale raids.

Bucharest had yesterday an earthquake again. How nice that you are no more there.

Pravdáné had been here again, brought me some sausages as a present. I really do not know how could I go on without these helping hands as I am not clever in blackmarketing.

Spring weather is continuing, sunshine, mud, sometimes, wild rushes of wind from the Atlantic and consequently warm masses of air cover everything. I had a light overcoat on and even this seemed sometimes too much. Sorry, Geo, but this is again an exceptional case. No more

41 heating for me, I hope. With the balcony door open a bit, it is 19 °C in my room and so I can spare the half of my fuel for next winter, which, very probably won’t be so generous towards us, as this one was. I do not think, we would get fuel better next year.

Febr. [February] 16. Tuesday I remember well, when Dédé, as a small boy, still at home on the hill, played every day with hammer and nails as long, as he hit his hand or finger and then began to howl terribly. Your Dad said him: Dédé, you have so much trouble in hitting yourself, better come to me in the morning, I shall hit you and then all further trouble is saved. So it seems to me with Germany. It is the second time they have been preparing for long years, no butter for them but guns and after a relatively short period of playing almighty they will be hit all right. The terrible howling will begin again, regarding injustice and their tragic fate. So with the next peace you would do better to hit them afore, without the long years of preparation, toil and sacrifice on their

42 part. Politicians won’t like it but for ordinary people it will be much better if instead of guns they can buy cars.

The weather is so nice that I had been out in a tailor-made (kosztüm). Lunch with Morvays. It seems, Vilmica is going to marry, very good thing for her, she is so terribly alone since the death of Babuka. Jamus’ talk used to reflect what she hears from people, friends, Lajoska, etc. She is absolutely anti-German now that it is a sign of changed public opinion even among not very high-brow people. – Early afternoon at Váci street I met Marguerite, pity she is inclined to rather sharp colours, it gives hard contrast to her black hair. I walked up to the Fortress hill to the Nunciature to get some paper on which I could send you a message. Since last April they do not take any more messages meant for the States, don’t know why? So I took one to send some lines to the Adamsons in Leeds.

From Marguerite I got last time some books, among them is Noel Coward’s Plays. The first

43 one I read is Cavalcade. I remember having seen it as a picture, I never [strikethrough] [?] [/strikethrough] knew it was originally a play but it is beautiful. So much more worse now, with a third war going on. Jamus told me a story about a general – M.D. who in a committee had to meet wounded soldiers arriving home on the station. Among the wounded he found his own son, without arms and legs. he shot the boy and shot himself.

Though Jerries do not dare to speak about home-conditions, military circles say there is high discontent in Germany and growing revolutionary feeling. Difficult to believe.

From Lóránd Dutkasz no news since the 5th Jan. [January] and so are all, whose sons has been out in the Voronyezs space.

Febr. [February] 17. Wednesday. Rainy. In the morning I had been over the hill to get some [strikethrough] churn [/strikethrough] curd and butter. Afternoon: Tullia had tea with me, evening: supper with Gizi, Lujzi and Frici: Ancy is away in the mountains near Borsa for skiing.