New-York tribune., 1919-06-15
Instant Attack

"The daring of the new admnistra-
ton was shown in its instant attack
upon the conventions of daily life. 1t
had to cope with urgent problems.
Budapest was thronged with refugees
and demobilized soldiers; same say
that it had double its normal popula
tlon The government instantly laid
down The principle that every adult is
entitled to one living room. and no
family to more than three rooms apart
from the kitchen and rooms set aside
for work. The homeless were promptly
housed and in many palace the in
mates retired to the three rooms al
lowed to them by law.
THE British Labor party announced
as its motto at the last election, No
cake for any till all have bread The
bllletlng plans of the Hungarian gov
ernment were drastic application Of
chat principle. In practice it was car
red out with reasonable consideration.
Friends and relatives were encouraged
to live together On the amusing plea
that the bourgeois would corrupt hon
est workers, families of the same
habits OF life were grouped together.
A professor of the university with a
family Of three had five large rooms
One was allowed HIM as study, and
the official who dealt with his case sug-
gcsted to him that he should bring
his secretary to inhabit the fifth room.
Clothing was no less scarce than house
room and no new stocks could be I'M
ported. In each block of flats the ten
ants were required to elect trustees
who must countersgn their applica-
tions for new clothes or furniture and
grant them only in case of actual need.
These are only few instances Of
the drastic measures which the Peo-
pies commssaries adopted to deal with
an abnormal condition of scarcity.
They make on the whole for the good
of the greatest number. In nothing
perhaps did the commissioners act so
firmly as in the instant and total pro-
hibition of all alcoholic drink. There
is no evasion of that command. Hun
gary is obediently dry and to this
even more than to the firmly disci
plined Red Guards Hungary owes
order
According to Brailsford, the Com
munists of Hungary have learned
the lesson Of the Russian revolution,
and are careful not to arouse, by
stiff doctriQaire application of so
cialist theories. the peasantry, who
form the backbone of the country.
The large estates of the aristocracy
were ''socialized" and are worked on
q cooperative basis by the former
tenants and farm laborers, under
the guidance of experts, who, as a
rule, are the old officials converted
to socialism by their instinct of self
preservat ton. On the other hand.
small peasant freehold owners are
not appropriated. Instead, the gov
ernment endeavors to win their sup
port by teaching them the advan-
tages of cooperation and scientific
management.
Similar policies are pursued, we
are told, in the field of industry.
Education
In regard to the governments
plans in the field of education we
read:
THE Minister, DR.. Lukacs, former
lecturer in philosophy at Heidelberg,
combines imagination with courage.
He means to achieve this immense end,
that culture shall cease to be the
privilege of class. The drudgcs of
the old world, the teachers, have sud
denly become the most honored SER
wants Of the state. and even the village