During these troubled times, some of our confreres showed no conscience. Miklós Gönczy worked in Békéscsaba while at law school. Upon graduation he managed Dr. Lipót Holländer's office very conscientiously and was quite involved with this family. He would be invited to tea parties given by Jewish girls. During these precarious times, he became public prosecutor.
It was some days after my return that I was to learn of Dr. Gyula Révész, a physician at the Csaba hospital. He was shipped out to a labour camp at the battlefront - never to return. (Dr. Révész was Vera Szamek's husband and the infant János' father.) This happened in 1942. Nora, the wonderful lady, always ready to help wanted to adopt János, should he too be subject to deportation. The application was submitted to the judicial advisor, Gönczy. It was known that he reported the matter to his superior, Dr. Alfonz (Czibesz) Nyírő.
"Surely the Szameks can't imagine that I would permit a Jewish bastard to be legally adopted be a Christian?!" Nyírő told the Szameks about this. When Nora and Mrs. Szamek ran into Gönczy and explained what happened, the reply was that he must have been thinking of the other Dr. Szamek (Dr. Lajos Szamek, the gynaecologist) - that family. "Disgusting" said Nora. "Obviously you don't care which Dr. Szamek, nor do you care about saving a child." Gönczy had nothing to say!
There were other experiences with Csaba colleagues. This was in 1943 in Nagyvárad, Dr. Kálmán Dobay and Dr. Ervin Knyihár were involved with the Nazi Arrow Cross Party. Their plan of action was to enforce anti-Jewish laws to frighten away their respective Jewish colleagues. Previously Knyihar had been a member of the Social Democratic party!
Kálmán Molnár was quite a bit younger, a member of the association, one of the first. When he saw me he crossed the street. His office was in the lane of Apponyi street. There were five law offices there. It was known as "Swindlers' Lane".
After this, Kálmán and I simply ignored each other. There were two "Associations" whose members were informers and spies. Thanks to them doctors and lawyers of Jewish blood were shipped to the forced-labour camps and no more problems with competition!