Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-10
CHAOS PREVAILS
N,SLAV STATES
Croatian Troops Protest
Against Uniting Jugo.
Slavia With Serbia
REVENGE ON MACYARS
Czechs and Bohemians With
hold Coal and Food From
Suffering Vienna
REVENGE ON MAGYARS
Bv HAROLD WILLIAMS

Bv HAROLD WILLIAMS
4 Wireless to Epening Public Ledger
o'e ss aaG ss sS FSrggs Fsrs TImes FsSs &C. Ledger
Berne. Dec. 10.
as Strong dissatisfaction exists among
the republicans at Agram. with the
decision of the national council to
unite Jugo.Slavia under the Serbian
dynasty.
News has Just been received here in
directly Of disturbances among the
Croatian soldiers on this ground and
the Agram Government. It states. has
had to impose preventive censorship.
From the same source 1t is reported
that the Rumanians are unable to oc-
cupy Petrozseny, a mining town in
southern Transylvania. because the
Rumanian soldiers have deserted.
I cannot vouch for the accuracy Of
this news, since 1t was received here
from Budapest, which naturally is dis
posed to make the most Of the dis
sensions of its opponents, but judging
from recent events there is nothing i'm
probable in the reports.
The former subject nationalities of
Hungary are now taking revenge for
their cruel oppression by the old Mag
var Government. The Jugo.Slavs. Ru.
manians. Ruthenians and Czecho-Slo-
vacks claim in all eighty.three Hungar.
ian provinces and since in all there
are only sixty-three provinces the rival
nationalities are obviously claiming
the same territory. The Hungarian
State, under the present conditions, Is
virtually the city and republic Of
Budapest, with the neighboring steppe
to the Rumanian line.
The Allied occupation is proceeding
smoothly and, according to Magyar
papers, the Rumanian national guard
is scrupulously protecting life and
:. property of all the nationalities In
the occupied area Czech military
movements are opposed by the Mag
var national guard and there Is a good
deal of skirmishing in northern Hun.
gary.i
Meanwhile the envoy Of the Prague
Government, Milan Hodza. a famous
Slovak leader who was prosecuted by
the old regime for his defense Of ma.
tional rights has been negotiating with
Sthe Magyar minister of nationalities,
Jaszy. who published in 1912 book
advocating federal solution Of Hun.
sgarian racial problems.
SlOvacks Want Independence
In an interview, NJ Hodza says that
a general agreement has been reached
with the Budapest Government, that
eight whole and eight half provinces
shall be recognized as Slovak. The
Slovak country will form an auton.
omous State, united with Bohemia The
Czechs are organizing plebiscite
among the Slovak population, but I.
council. speaking in the name of the
eastern Slovak provinces, has sud-
denly declared that these provinces
desire to form an independent Slovak
State, linked with the Hungarian by
a customs union. Since the present
Hungarian Government desires the
formation of an economic federation
Of Independent nationalities in former
Hungarian territory. this declaration
of eastern Slovaks has slightly com.
forted them. But l certainly should
not presume to express just now any
opinion on the authentic desires of
the Slovak peasantry of northern Hun.
not want to be governed by the Mag
yars.
In any case the collapse Of the
Magyar hegemony has created an in
4 toierable economic situation. The Hun.
garian coal fields are occupied by Jugo.
Slavs and the Czechs will not let
coal through from their rich coal
fields. No territorial agreements seem
70 diminish the economic pressure. In
response to Viennas appeals for food
the Budapest Government says that
II Is uncertain whether it will be able
70 Feed its own population, since the
richest parts Of the country are oc.
\ cupied by invaders.
National Council Rules
VI A word. by the way. as to the present
form OF government. Tho Hungarian
Parliament dissolved itself Immediately
after the revolution, and supreme power
Is exercised by a national council of
twenty members. representing all par
! ties except Tiszas. which is down and
out. This council has appointed a coali-
tion government. headed by Count Ka-
rolyi, the last of the magnates, who is
regarded as the strong man of the situ-
alton. There are two Socialist ministers.
and a young Socialist. Denesz Diner as
4 sists karolyi in foreign affairs. An cleo
4 toral law for the constituent assembly
has been passed, and a commission is
studying land reform. So far, the Gov
ernment has kept comparative order. bur
1t threatens to resign IL the Entente does
not secure economic relief
f Magyar nationalism is certainly in
low water just now. and that wonder
ful Turanian secret society whose en-
Diem was seven stars and which aipoed
< at uniting the seven Turanian nations
hnds the present atmosphere rather suS,
locating. Magyar kultur has left SO per
cent OF the population unable to read or
write. and the universal suffrage law
4 has had to be limited accordingly. The
( Magyar republic is paying a heavy price
Tor the Prussianism OF its predecessors
4 Primarily responsible for this calamity
Is the Hapsburg system, which first
4 plunged the State recklessly into war
and then allowed Itself. to be dragged
into the abyss at the chariot wheels Of
Prussia, finally leaving behind It a chaos
Of unrestricted national hatreds and RI
tfvalries.
But at present the question is how Is
Vienna to get coal to secure transport
and some Slight protection against The
winter cold and the anarchy which will
Inevitably arise when all work stops
And there is nothing to eat. There is
coal close by. In Bohemia. but Bohemia
will not let the coal Though.
Dispute Over Bohemia
Both the Vienna and Prague Govern
ments lay claim to that portion OF Ro.
hamian ferritory In which A.