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:...
