Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02
A SERIOUS CRISIS In CROATIA.

There is double crisis in Austria
Hungary; a ministerial crisis in Budapest
and a conflict in Agram. the
Double capital OF Croatia. where con-
stitutional authority has been
OiiS1S. suspended and superseded by
an armed police.
There is chronic trouble in Bohemia.
where Dr. Forscht. former minister OF
commerce. interviewed. declared himself
opposed I'm principle to the projected crea-
ton in the Habsburg empire OF a third
state composed of Slavs. thus: Croatia,
Dalmatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.
Dr. Forscht affirmed that the idea of
the Slav state in the empire was the great
idea of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand,
crown prince, who saw in II check to
the ambitious schemes of the Magyars.
This was a necessity for the Austrian
monarchy, because of the Magyars. whose
turbulence and arrogance constituted a
menace to the empire, "a fact apparent.
said DR.. Forscht. in the manner they
are acting toward our brothers in Croa-
tia, whose capital. Agram, is in a state
OF SIEGE
For the Czechs added DIR. Forscht. the
projected trialism was a reaction Al
present CZechs and Slavs constituted
majority in Austria I'm a trialisrn the
force of resistance or attack would he di-
minished. The real solution would be
the establishment in Austria OF a feder-
alton in which each national group would
have perfect autonomy
Croatia Slavonia was conquered by the
Magyars in the twelfth century. After
the battle of Mohacz 1926. the country
was attached to the house of Habsburg.
Invaded by the Turks at the close of the
fifteenth century, Croatia was attached
to Austria by the treaty of karlovnz in
1899 1t was detached from Hungary
after the revolution of 1913 and reunited
to Hungary in 1868.
The orszaggyules. or Hungarian par
Lament, has authority over Hungary and
these provinces. The parliament consists
of 453 members. of whom Alb represent
Hungarian towns and districts, and 40
delegates who represent Croatia Slavonia.
The constitution, it has been reported.
was suspended in Croatia April 2. and
NJ. de Tchuvai. who was ban" was
appointed royal commissioner with SUI
preme authority over the country. The
elections to the diet of Croatia were sus-
pended. the liberty of the press abol-
ished and a reign of the police was
inaugurated.
The cause of the difficulties is some
what obscure, but, whatever the pre-
texts, it is certain that high
Obscure above all other reasons for
Croatia Slavonia unrest is the
OduSe. race hatred which is charac-
teristic Of the diverse peoples of the
provinces
This race hatred Is particularly violent
in Croatia Slavonia, and grows with the
years and the expansion of public in
struction.
AS for Hungary and its dependencies
they are no nearer there to peace and
good will to each other than when Louis
III, King OF Hungary and Bohemia, was
conquered and killed at Mohacz. on the
Danube, by Soliman the Magnificent.
The following figures will afford some
idea of the clinical elements of the
present population of Hungary. including
Croatia and Slavonia: Hungarian Mag
var. s.742,30l: German. > 135. Isl; Slovak.
2.013641; Roumanian, o,dy3, 40; Ruthenian,
400, AT; Croatian, 1,67S,569; Servian, 391,-
761
In Hungary there is perfect equality
among all legally recognized religions
Roman and Greek Catholic. the Evan
gelical (Augsburg and Helvetian). the
Unitarian, the Greek, Oriental the
Gregorian, Armenian and the Jewish.
These religions do not appear to have
diminished the race hatred which burns
fiercely between these different races and
different religions.
Public instruction in Hungary is gen.
eral Compulsory school attendance was
established by law in 1865 for children
of six to twelve years. Every parish or
commune is obliged to maintain an In
FAINT school. The .'gymnasia' and real
schools in Croatia Slavonia supply prep
aration for the universities and for the
technical high schools. The curriculum
of these extends over eight years. being
at the expense of the state.
II may not be said with justice. there
fore, that race hatred is the fruit of ig
norance but rather that il is
Race a law of race in Hungary, as
indeed in other countries, which
Law provides a generous and gen.
eral public instruction.
The suspension of the constitution in
Croatia has awakened all these latent
race hatreds between the Slav, the Mag
var and the German. The Magyar jour
nal the Pesti Hirlap, has added fuel
to the flames by affirming that Croatia
for a fact had no constitution, that the
diet of Agram was not more than gen
eral council of a department, a sort of
committee Joined to Hungary. The jour
nal added insult to injury by congratu-
lating the authorities of Budapest. which
had finally understood that the anti-Mag
vars and anti-dualists in Croatia were
dangerous. not only to Hungarians. but
also to the dynastic interests, and it was
necessary to repress them vigorously.
And the Pesti Hirlap concludes that there
has been no suspension of constitutional
life in Croatia for the reason that there
was no constitution, but only Croatian
autonomy. 1t was the Hungarian consti-
tuition only which applied to Croatia as
well as Hungary. and that constitution
had not been suspended by the emperor
king. Consequently If Croatians had COM
plants to formulate they were at liberty
to make them through their forty depu-
ties in the Hungarian chamber
Now it has escaped the attention of the
correspondent who has reported the fore
going that the constitution first granted
Hungary was granted to Hungary and
Croatia Slavonia. The first charter of
constitutional code was the ''bulla aurea''
of King Andrew ii, granted in 1222.
which defined the government as an
aristocratic monarchy. The Hungarian
constitution has been repeatedly sus-
pended and partially disregarded and
notably in the rebellion of 1859 it was
decreed to be forfeited by the nation.
This decree was repealed in 1861. and
Francis Joseph. June s. 1867, who swore
10 maintain the constitution, was crowned
first and last was accorded to Hungary
and Croa tia Slavonia- The correspondent
of the Temps at Budapest has manifestly
failed to read up on the past relations of
the two countries in question.
When Count khuen- Hedervary assumed
mower i'm 1907 he believed he was doing