New-York tribune., 1919-03-26
No Armed Action Until
Supreme Council Learns
Who Is to Blame for
New Bolshevik Menace
France May Be Cause
Washington Observers Say
Paris Authorities May
Have Exceeded Authority
Neo York Tribune

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, March 25.~-It was
Indicated in official quarters to-day
that the Supreme Council at the Paris
peace conference would not rush to an
immature conclusion concerning the
setting up Of BoIshevst government
in Hungary, but would obtain the facts
before making any decision or decid-
ing upon action.
The investigation might disclose, 1t
was suggested, that the French mill
tary authorities in Hungary had pre-
cipltated the hungarian crisis by ac-
tions unauthorized by the peace CON
ference itself Another possibility
vas that the Supreme Council had not
ordered the territorial arrangements
in Hungary which the French military
authorities sought to put in force.
1t is believed here that the Supreme
Council, if it decides upon military
measures TO meet the situation, will not
announce It's decision, but will order
such dispositions of Allied forces as
may be required 10 handle the gtua-
tlohs on the several ijolsheyk fronts
The Cseeho.sovak army, which has
been nl0bll1ed, Is hbie tD eoba with abv
forces the Budapest government can
send against H. In the opinion Of JAro.
slay y, Hmetanka. director OF one'il
CzechorSlovak intelligence service in
Washington
DR., Smetanka said the danger of Boil
shevlam getting IA foothold in Bohemia
and Slovakia is negligible. Hungary,
however, he declared, is ripe field for
Bolsheyism. DR.. Smetanka said that
while the Czecho,, ,,Slovaks are not afraid
to meet alone the Magyar peril, they
hope that the Allies will not leave the
entire burden of the war to them. He
charact terized the report that Pres-
dent Masaryk of Czecho- Slovakia has
resigned as absurd. DR.. Smetanka said
News of the Bolshevik overturn in
the Magyar state did not surprise the
Czecho- -Slovaks. In Hungary, up to
the defeat of the Central Powers, the
Magyar minority held down the Slav
and Latin majority, but tho mass of
about the government Of their coun-
try. All political power was in the
hands of the land-holding olgarchy,
led by the counts and consisting Of
country squires and Office holders.
Hungary even more than Prussia was
ruled by it's junkcrs.
ut was not surprising, therefore,
that among all the prisoners of war in
Russia the Magyars were foremost in
embracing Bolshevst doctrines. 1t was
the testimony of Czecho- Slovak prison.
ers in Siberia that Magyars, more than
Germans, made up the leadership and
even the bulk of the Red Guards. Since
the dissolution of Austria Hungary
thousands Of Magyar agitators returned
from Hussia, and the government of
that amateur statesman, Count Karolyi,
did not possess the courage or fore
sight to cope with them. In fact,
harolyi's idea of government, consisted
in printing money and distributing it as
palliative of dissatisfaction.
ITO the CzechoSlova., republic the
bolshevik revolution in Budapest
means war. Magyar extremists cher
ish special hatred for the Czecho-
Slovaks, both because they had to give
to the new state the northern part
of Hungary known as Slovakia and be-
cause leaders of the revolutionary
movement in Budapest brought with
them from Russia memories of the
bitter feud between Magyar Red Guards
and Czecho- -Slovak lcgionaries.
There are known to be some half
dozen Czech Bolshevists from Russia
keeping UP a more or less secret agi-
tation in the. industrial districts
Undoubtedly a portion of the So
cialist party will raise the cry that
armed forces of the Czccho- -Slovak re-
public should not be used to put down
the working mems revolution in Buda~
pest. But it may be said emphatically
that even among Czech Socialists this
opinion is held by small minority
and that the Czecho-SlovalS govern
ment will act promptly with its full
strength"