The sun., 1910-06-05
The Hungarian Elections.


The introduction Of a new issJle into
Hungarian politics may be considered
largely responsible for the signal and
somewhat unexpected victory Of the
Crown in the general election just held.
ThiF issue. the building Of DreahnOughts,
having been approved by the people. tho
result becomes Of considerably wider
interest in Europe than that Of any
Hungarian election Of recent years.
Soon after the dissolution Of the last
Parliament following the assaults made
upon Count KHUEv HEDERvARY, the
Prime Minister. Il was announced that
Austria Hungary had undertaken the
building Of four new DreadnOughts.
Interest was added TO the statement
from the fact that money had not been
appropriated for the purpose and that
apparently Hungary had scarcely been
approached on the subject. II w1s
stated, however. that the Stabilimento
TecnicO, a private shipbuilding yard al
Trieste, had undsrtaken to construct
two Of these ships on a venture. II the
Government did not accept them they
would he sold 70 some other Power. The
matter Of the building Of the other two
soon assumed importance. After being
held up for some time il VAS announced
that the third and fourth vessels would
probably be built in the Hungarian
Danubius yard at Fiume. This conCrs-
sion TO the demands nf Hungarian in
dustry was considered 10 he part oi the
plan Of the Archduke FRANCIS MD
NIND, who had taken the initiative in
hurrying matters. He set ont with a
determination 20 oV Vercome the unwill-
ingness of the Hungarians % vote the
money. and was remarked to have paid
unusual attention tn the depItation from
budapest that had attended the launch
ing of the last Austrian batt'e~hip
The injection Of the DreadnOught
question into the general election thus
became a very easy matter The oppO-
sition claimed that the Government had
been playing a game Of hide and seek
that was unfair TO Hungary The build
ing Of the ships as a private speculation
was questioned in that the StabilimentO
was working from plans drafted by
engineers Of the state. and that Il was
scarcely to be supposed that Austro-
Hungarian naval architects, who were
considered among the most competent oi
Europe. would have worked to give a
foreign Government the benefit Of their
knowledge The opposition also claimed
that the Austrian feet would be merely
a Mediterranean division of the German
navy, and objected that Australia
gary should be a catspaw of another
Power. II held this-visw whether Hun
gary was left to pay her share Of the bill
or whether the money was TO be found
eventually in some other quarter. Il
based lis ObicCtiOn further upon the
fact that Austria Hungary had no colo
nies to defend. a comparatively small
coast line 10 protect, and that Dread
nOughts would be merely expensive toys
A for the manning q these vessels. Il
held that the Magyar crews might find
themselves severe sufferers In a quarrc
arising out Of a phase Of the GermaniC
policy in which the interest was wholly
Austrian. The opposition, however
was divided in that the misIndersland
ing between VI. KOssU-TH and VI. JUsTH
the two leaders, had not been reConcilsd
Besides. the personal Popularity ~ Coun
kHUEN HEDFRyARY had been enhances
By the good humored way in which h
had taken the batterIng that UrecedeC
the dissolution of the last Parliament.
The victory Of the Crown IN ia ship,
building policy means a victory fol
Count AFHRENTHAL's Germanic policy
The result will be- received with mucl
greater satisfaction in Germany than IL
England The British policy Of rccen'
wears has been 10 diminish the strength
Of the Mediterranean fleet, but II Aus
tria puts into these waters two stronl
squadrons a. her plan seems TO be, m
balance Of power there will be entirely
changed and England will find hersel
face 20 face with the necessity of enlarg
ing her shipbuilding programme.