The Spy Who Painted the Queen (11 page)

PAL

It is all absolute nonsense what they are saying there. I keep those papers because so many ridiculous things have been written. I never wrote that letter. [Next to this someone had added a pencil note: ‘I think he did HO paper p 150'.]

ACC

This is said to be a letter received by your relations in Buda-Pesth. Is it not possible that this is one of the letters your brother showed to Count Andrassy?

PAL

No, I do not think so; that letter was dated in 1912.

ACC

How could they have got these details about your sureties? Would they have forged those, and also about your five sons, to damage you?

PAL

They did many things like that, but I could not have written that letter to him, because – I must come back now to the unfortunate fact that I sent some letters through the Dutch Legation – I would not have dared to write a letter like that, for someone would probably have seen it and gone home and told lies about it. My idea was to keep these things to how my native people behaved so badly and to show them how unjust they were.

ACC

In fact you were keeping them to rehabilitate yourself with the Hungarians after the war. Why should your brother have gone to see Count Andrassy unless it was to rehabilitate yourself with the Hungarians?

PAL

Certainly he did it for that, because the outcry was that I did it when the war broke out, and they would not believe I thought of it before the war.

ACC

Quite so, but the fact would remain that you had before the war wished to wash your hands of the Hungarians.

PAL

It never came into my head.

ACC

Did you never wish to do that?

PAL

I had only one idea, which I still have, and that was to show them that I did not do it during the war. If I had, they would have been quite right to speak of me as they did.

ACC

As a matter of fact you did not want to wash your hands of any country; is that so?

PAL

Yes.

ACC

When you became naturalised you took a solemn oath of allegiance and my point is that you had a divided allegiance; you wanted to get the advantages of being a naturalised British subject and you took the oath of allegiance, but in your heart you made reserves. You did not want to stand badly with the Hungarians.

PAL

No, it was simply a point of honour; I never did anything wrong in my life. A long time before I got married I did think of living in Hungary and I built a beautiful home there which still stands. Now for four years I have had the intention of building a house there [
sic
]. I sold my house in Hungary.

ACC

Mr László, did you write your own biography in
Who's Who
?

PAL

Yes, I was asked various questions when I came to live in England and they write to me every year and add to it.

ACC

So you did not get rid of your Hungarian status when you assumed British nationality?

PAL

No, I have a legal right to my name.

ACC

I am not disputing your right, but only suggesting that you were trying to keep a foot in both countries.

PAL

The title is equal to that of a British Baron which gives the children the right to keep the name forever. I cannot lose that.

ACC

But the Buda-Pesth paper suggests that this should be done.

PAL

I do not think that can be.

ACC

You do not want that done?

PAL

Well, I never thought of it.

ACC

Many British holders of foreign titles have divested themselves of them.

PAL

If it is necessary I am willing to do that.

ACC

It is not a question of that; I am trying to get at what your mind is.

PAL

My point is that I got the honour in an honourable way through my work.

ACC

But when the Buda-Pesth paper said it should be taken away you thought it better for your brother to see Count Andrassy.

PAL

No, because Count Andrassy had I know a very great feeling for me, for he bought my very first picture from me when I was twenty. I only know what my brother wrote to me.

ACC

Bearing on that, I should rather like to call your attention to a series of newspaper cuttings that have been found. They do not refer, as one would expect, to art or Hungarian politics, but they do refer to air raids, sinking of a cruiser, revolution in Russia, trouble in Greece, peace pamphlets etc. It is curious that this little hoard should be made of things that are hostile to this country. I want to know why they were kept.

PAL

You mean I kept these papers on purpose?

ACC

Yes, I suggest it. They were in the interests of Hungary and against the interest of this country.

PAL

I remember two or three articles which appeared in the “Globe” in favour of Hungary.

A packet of documents discovered at his Datchet home was then shown to him.

PAL

I know who brought me that (uklenftucke zum Ariegsausbruch) it was old Professor Haeckler.

ACC

Who is Professor Haeckler?

PAL

He was at the British Embassy in Vienna for about twenty-five years, when I lived in Vienna, which was only for a year and a half.

ACC

Here is a nice little collection which it would interest me to know how you got and why. [Thomson seems to have been indicating the left-wing British pacifist documents such as National Labour Press.]

PAL

I never bought these things: they were brought to me by Professor Haeckler. He brought me some and I told him not to bring me any more.

ACC

Where is he now?

PAL

He lives at Barnet. He is British born, and comes to my house very frequently.

ACC

Is he a Socialist?

PAL

No.

ACC

But he goes to these meetings.

PAL

I give you my word I have never read these. They were all brought to me by that old man and when we went into the country they were packed up together.

ACC

Why did you keep them?

PAL

They were packed up there.

ACC

But some were found at Datchet.

PAL

They must have been sent to me.

ACC

Who sends them?

PAL

I am engaged with that Company.

ACC

The cuttings that are sent by a company are always clear cut at the edges and stuck on a paper, like these, but the cuttings I am referring to are not; they have been cut out by yourself.

PAL

I remember now that one or two papers have been sent to me to read and to my wife by my sister-in-law, Miss Guinness. There is a pamphlet here by a Unitarian Bishop. Mr Hankinson wrote to me lately asking me to help with money a Hungarian lady and he sent me these pamphlets, which I never read.

ACC

Why did you keep that? (‘Pacifism in England – Through German Eyes'.)

PAL

I do not know.

ACC

You are a pacifist are you not?

PAL

I am not a pacifist, but I would like Hungary to become absolutely independent out of this war.

ACC

I know from what people who have sat for you have told me what you say. Shall I give you an instance?

PAL

Please.

ACC

One particular one was about the coming in of America, that it was futile to count on America, that America was only using this war as an excuse to arm against Japan and Mexico; they did not mean or would not provide any real help. That I know you said, and I suppose you meant it.

PAL

I am in an awful position in my studio. I see so many people and one talks.

ACC

I will give you a little more. That it was of supreme moment to Great Britain to make peace at this moment: that she had got all she wanted and that it was of supreme moment that she should make peace. If the Russians had stood firm they would have come in like a wedge between her and her eastern powers. Did you say that or not?

PAL

If you have heard it: probably there was some talk of war.

ACC

This was a talk you introduced.

PAL

I had a talk with Colonel Repington (the noted war correspondent for
The Times
) and we lunched at the Ritz Hotel with two ladies and talked about the war.

ACC

This was not Colonel Repington. The point is, will you deny that you ever said words to that effect – that this was the moment to make peace?

PAL

That I never said, but I remember saying once to someone that whatever happens, no nation will come out morally so great and well as England.

ACC

Do you deny ever saying to anybody that this was the moment for England to make peace?

PAL

I never remember saying that.

ACC

Could you have said it?

PAL

No, I will give you my word of honour that I never said any such thing.

ACC

I am afraid that your memory is a little defective on that point. That is not so material, it was only that I wanted to test your memory, and I want to test your memory in one respect. There are a number of people who quite genuinely think that from a political point of view it would be best to make peace, but it had a peculiar bearing in your case for reasons that you have already gathered, that we have reason to think that your allegiance is divided between the two countries.

PAL

You cannot expect it from me; I can prove it through my friends in France that it is impossible for me to go back; on the other hand, I cannot suddenly turn my back on a country or curse it, or anything like that. It was not Hungary who caused the war; it is of no interest to her; her one interest would be to become free of Austria.

ACC

But to one who loves both countries, reconciliation between the two would be most agreeable.

PAL

I would be very happy if Hungary would make friends. (Paper shown him)

PAL

Professor Haeckler gave me that: he is a very strange old gentleman. He was a great friend of the Duke of Teck and gave lessons to his children. He goes to all kinds of meetings. I would like to give an explanation of the German papers. Old Baron Schleintz lived in this country; he was in charge for Leipsic to write what happens on art matters. He was to write the biography of British Artists and one day he came to me and said ‘I have been asked to write your life', so I had to give him all material. He died nearly two years ago and the old Baroness and an old Fraulein live alone; we visit them sometimes, and I got my German papers from there.

ACC

Where did you get the Blue Book on the papers found in the possession of Archibald – the man who was caught at Falmouth carrying papers?

PAL

I do not know, but I expect Professor Haeckler gave me that too.

ACC

Do you receive any Hungarian papers from your relatives?

PAL

No, never.

ACC

Did you know Mr Arthur Diosy?

PAL

I met him once in my life, many years ago. I was never a member of the Hungarian Society here, or of the Austrian, but once I went to a concert with my wife and we met him, but I do not believe I have seen him since, and he sent me a book he wrote.

ACC

Now, I want to go rapidly through another matter. Your transmission of funds to your mother. You gave an explanation about the £200, intended to be sent through Baron Mayendorff. The police officer made a report that you said this was to be part of the £1,000 that Mayendorff owed you for a picture, but you explained afterwards that you had given him a cheque. Was that the only amount that you sent your mother?

PAL

No, I sent her more money, but not through him.

ACC

When you sent this other money was it before or after June of this year?