Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
SCANDALS IN HUNGARY
Political Intrigues Continue to
Annoy Franz Josef.
MINISTER PoLoNYi ACCUSED
Retraction Forced From the. Man
Who Made Charges.
EMPEROR WATCHED By SPY
Secret Agent, One Of the Most Beau
tiful Women of the Austrian
Court, Commits Suicide.
EMPEROR WATCHED By SPY
Special. Cabiegram to The Star.

-. 49,
Special Cabiegram to The Star.
VIENNA, February 2s.-The scandals in
Hungarian politics continue to worry the
aged Emperor Franz Josef. The Polonyi
affair threatens to take the proportions Of a
Hungarian Panama. 1t is an outward sign
of the extent to which Hungarian politics
have undergone a process of degeneration.
! The downward tendency Of Hungarian life
has been very marked for the last ten or
fifteen years. Fifteen or twenty years ago
the Hungarian parliament was made up of
the men of light and leading of the coun-
try, the Andrassys, the Esterhazys, the
Zichys. great landed proprietors and repre-
sentatiyes of one of the proudest aristoc-
racies in the world.
Certainly no parliament ever offered such
a spectacle to the eye as that of Hungary
unless the duma may be mentioned in the
same breath. Fifteen years ago your cor
respondent attended for the first time the
opening of the reichsrath at Budapest.
Nine-tenths Of the members had turned up
in full Magyar costume. The house was a
mass of .velvets and furs. gold and silver
embrOideries. brocades, gold-mounted, jewel
hilted swords, diamond aigrettes and nod
ding plumes.
There were representatives of noble fami-
lies present whose outfit cost 100000 to
$4,000. as they stood. Gold and jeweled
chains, stars and crosses set with brilliants
and diamond-studded weapons made up a
truly regal scene. And they all wore their
costumes as to the manner born. One did
not have the feeling that there was any
thing of fancy dress about the affair. An
Andrassy or an Esterhazy wears the ma,
tional costume with the same grace and
distinction as the Mcleod or Lochiel wears
the Scottish kilt
Advent of Kossuth
Then came the advent of Franz Kossuth
and the process of disintegratjon began.
He deemed that he owed it to his name to
head an aggressive anti-Austrian party. At
the same time the tone of Hungarian public
life was lowered. The great traditions of
Hungarian nationality were driven into the
background. and the pushful demagogic
professional politician took his place. 1t
was this change that brought M. Polonyi to
the front. He is active. pushful Buda
pest lawyer with reputation for business
keenness that sails dangerously near sharp
practice. He Is good speaker and an ag-
gressive political fighter. For years past
his political enemies have accused him of
all kinds of shady transactions, chiefly in
connection with company flotation, but they
were never able to bring any of the charges
home to him.
1t required the Halmos scandal to bring
things to head. NJ. Halmos is a member
of the reichsrath and was formerly mayor
Of Budapest. Therefore, charges from
such a quarter could hardly be ignored.
He declared that NJ. Polony as minister of
justice had misused his office for his per-
sonal advancement, and trafficked, in his i'll
huence as member of the cabinet. At first,
NJ Polony tried to treat the accusations
with silent contempt, but the scandal took
such proportions that he was forced to
take legal proceedings.
Then came the day of fate. Three days
later M. Polonyi read a letter in the
reichsrath in which M. Haimos formally
Withdrew all of the charges he had made
against the minister of justice. His par
coalition ministry, which was seriously
nIenaced by the charges against one of its
most influential members, seemed safe.
Then came the second coup de theater.
Twenty-four hours later the sons of M.
Halmos declared publicly that this retrac
ton had been forced from their father by
clared that they took up the accusations
of their father and charged NJ. Polonyi
afresh.
A Victim of Nerves.
And the story they told was not banal
one Three days before NJ. Halmos had
received the visit of his doctor, Dr. Eman-
nuel Vein, who found that he was in
very bad state with his. nervous system
suffering-shattered from insomnia. He
declared that the excitement of the politi-
cal struggle was killing him, and that IL
he did not at once abandon it in three days
he would be insane. This communication
had such an effect on M. Halmos that
after long struggle the discussion lasted
till nearly mdnight he wrote and signed
the letter Of retracton. This DR.. Vein
at once carried in the middle of the night
to the minister of justice, who embraced
him with transports and declared that he
was his savior.
But not only did the sons of M. Halmos
revive their fathers accusations against
M. Polonyi They accused him of having
employed a well-known lady of the Aus
trian court to act as spy on the emperor
and the statesmen in the Austrian capital
and keep him informed of all the intrigues
of the Viennese court. This secret agent
of the minister Of justice was Baroness
Bella Schonberger, one of the most beau
tiful end popular members of the Austrian
court. Twelve hours after these revela
lions Budapest was Mortified to hear that
Baroness Schonberger had attempted to
commit suicide. and was lying between life
and death from the effects of the morphine
poisoning.
The food gates of revelations were now
opened and all kinds Of scandalous things
began to appear It was alleged that M.
Polonyi had been Baron Schonberger's ad-
vocate. and after he became minister he
had p0na RI Vienna TO see her. He DrO.