New-York tribune., 1920-06-12
The Hungarian Treaty
By FRANK H. Sin,onds


sent to be Magyarzed. But the diff
Guilty here lay in the fact that some
of the tribes had occupied the lands
before the Hungarians had come, while
without exception Slovak, Rumanian
and Serb constituted the majority, the
overwhelming majority, in many re-
gions.
The real cause of Magyar ruin was
the treatment of these foreign ele-
ments. Particularly the Rumanians
were abused for decades, treated quite
as brutally as the inhabitants of AL
SAGE Lorraine. Even worse was the lot
of the Serbs and Croatians in Croatia
and Slavonia. Treason trials, politi-
cal prosecutions were the order of the
day. The result was inevitable; on
every frontier of Hungary the subjects
of the Hungarian state looked to
neighboring state for release, for lib
Grafton.
Magyar Policy
1t was to abolish this peril coming
primarily from the Slavs, that Austria
and Hungary risked war back in 1914
following the assassination of the
archduke 1t was Hungarian states
manship, even more than Austrian,
which urged the attack upon Serbia,
for Hungary was more Immediately
threatened. In Magyar minds the war
that was to come-a purely local war
with the Southern Slavs-would abolish
danger at the Danube for half a CEN
tury at least.
The assassination Of the archduke
Francis Ferdinand had advocated pol
icy of federation, had urged that the
various subject tribes be recognized
This would have meant nothing short
of the partition of Hungary, the par
tition which is now accomplished, but
a peaceful partition, which would
have preserved the Dual Monarchy in
tact, and replacing the dual system Wi n
threefold or even fivefold system,
giving the southern Slavs, the Czechs
measure of autonomy.
Against this every Hungarian set his
face. When the war came the question
of placating Rumania was soon raised
Count Czernin has recounted in his
memoirs how steadily all Magyar
statesmen refused any concessions to
the Rumanians. Pennsylvania ceded at
the right moment might have brought
Rumania in on the Austro- German side
and her aid might have been decisive
ponyi, Hungary was zone and indivis-
ible," in the old formula Of the French
Revolution, and so opportunity passed.
4 Clear Cain
One may believe that the future will
repair the economic heresies of the
Hungarian as we'll as the Austrian
union or economic association will
presently be established in central Eu-
rope on the ruins of the old Hapsburg
monarchy 1t is even possible that
the Hungarians may presently regain
certain regions from the Slovaks and
the Croatians. But that Hungary will
ever recoup its greater losses seems
unlikely. Both Rumanla and Czecho-
Slovakia seem bound to remain
stronger in all military and material
ways, and the new Serbia alone a dan
gerous rival, even if Croatian and
Slovenian elements secede.
In reality what has happened has
been the liquidation of the Magyar es-
tate, q process by which millions of
men and women, held in a tyranny
made odious by Magyar stupidity, have
escaped at last and regained union with
their brethren across artificial from
tiers, artificial so far as photographic
conditions were concerned. In this
there is a clear gain for justice, what
ever the confusion in the economic
conditions.
Copyright. 1920 Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate)