The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-03
POLITICAL
SITUATION
IN HUNGARY
Striking Contest Between Crown
and Parliament Promises
Serious Trouble Soon
CONDITIONS THREATEN
THE MUTUAL EXISTENCE
Possibility of Establishment of Inde.
pendent State With Treaty Max
ing Powers in Central Eu-
rope Reckoned With.

| Buda-Pesth, Hungary. May N.-(Corre-
| spondent of the Associated Press.)-The
| existing political trouble in Hungary.
which is In substance contest between
| crown and parliament. arouses a limited
amount of interest in so far as 1t affects.
| In one way or another, the internal af-
fairs of Hungary or the minor relations
of the component parts of the dual mon
| archy Austria and Hungary. but when
| II begins to threaten the mutual exist
ence. as a national unity of the dual
monarchy, the matter then assumes a
much broader Importance and wider In
| terest.
The possibility of the establishment In
| central Europe of an independent state,
with treaty making powers, must be
reckoned with as important IN its possi-
Bile effect on the mutual commercial re-
lations OF the present states Of central
Europe, and it is not without its i'm
portant political bearing on the complex
situation which centers In the Balkan
peninsula. for Hungary borders on Bos-
MIA, Servia, Roumania and Russia. and
there is reason to believe she would not
| be averse should she become a free state
to Russian influence in the Balkans or at
Constantinope.
Want National Life.
The present trouble in Hungary cam
not be followed or studied without observ-
ing In many of its phases evidences of
a strong and growing tendency toward
national life distinct and independent
from that with Austria. As matter of
fact the trouble enters today In certain
| Inn dar DE-
insists and which the crown refuses to
grant. The greatest of these Is that the
Hungarian language be used for the word
OF command in the army in Hungary by
all officers holding the rank of major
or lower rank, German being used as
heretofore by all officers of rank higher
than major
| That the Hungarian people have been
animated by a strong and deep desire
for an independent national life needs
no further argument than the fact of the
Mag revolution of 1SfS rendered notable
by the appeal of Louis Kossutb to Eng
| land and the United States. This failed
but the spirit which prompted that move
ment remained alive and Is alive today.
| 1t finds its expression I'm continual effort
! to obtain from the crown concessions TO-
ward national existence Independent OF
Austria. In constant battling In the arena
OF political control against any and ALI
| pose its will against the will of the peo-
pie or In any way whatsoever to abro-
gate any of the rights granted to the
Hungarian nation under its constitution.
! In the words of prominent Hungarian
/ leader. the struggle is in It's broader o,,t
lines. an energetic affirmation OF pop,,lar
| rights against an undue prevalence Of
royal prerogative Every opportunity to
further Hungarian ideal Is grasped with
ayidity today and the following reason
certainly is not least among the impellinr
motives. Franz Ferdinand. who will be-
come king Of Hungary upon the death of
the present king. Francis Joseph. Is a
| comparatively unknown quantity He Is
generally credited with being anti-Hun-
garian and II the Hungarians have event.
ually to contend with him they want to
get into their hands just as many wean-
ons for defense they can
Kings Must Agree.
The Kings of Hungary must agree To
| accept and observe the Hungarian con-
stitution, and to the Hungarians this in
| strument is their most sacred inheritance.
1t is thousand years old, and it is
| consecrated In the blood OF Countless
| thousands of brave men on many fields
| Of battle
Political strife between the Hungarian
| nation and the crown is no new thing
and interest therein is often only local.
| but when, In the course of such strife.
| the constitution Is threatened the nation
awakens to defense and aggression, and
when the strife reaches out to such
lengths, then the possibility of independ-
ence of the nation comes to the fore in A
series Of national demands. Such de-
mands are being made today. as has been
! recorded In the Associated Press dis
patches. Since the efforts of the crown
| to force upon parliament a ministry Of
| the minority after the opposition was
81 Tor
majority, since the crown has refused
| the demand of the majority for the use
| in the Hungarian tongue in the army,
and since the Hungarians declared their
constitutional rights were being infrfnged
| upon by the crown as an outcome of the
| political strife arising over the will of
| the crown on one side and the opposition
and demands Of the nation on the other,
| the question has become pregnant with
interesting and important possibilities.
| Nor Is the matter without its. serious
| complications. internally and externally.
The Hungarian parliament is today an
| imperative body. The ministry Is dis
credited, the premier powerless. and leg
islation is impossible. The country is
without responsible government, in con-
dItion Of legis. and there are impor-
| tant matters ahead of the dual monar-
| chy which require the cooperation OF
| the Hunga rian parliament for their full
| nlIment There are several commercial
| treaties between Austro- Hungary and
| foreign states which lapse on January l,
| 1906
Must Make Treaties.
New commercial treaties with Germany
| and Italy have been determined upon
but they cannot become effective until
passed by the Hungarian parliament and
other treaties are pending with Russia,
Switzerland and the Balkan states. rha