The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-03
ODENBURC IS
ANTI-AUSIRIAN
PEoPLE.sTRoNGLY RESENT SEP
ARATiON FROM HUNGARY AND
DOMINATION OF AUSTRiANS.

odenburp. German West Hungary.
April 29.-Red, white and green posters
with legends of protest against the
separation of this pro- Hungarian city
from Hungary, and it's accession by
Austria as soon as the peace is ratlfled,
appear in nearly every house and shop
window.
Two Austrian commissioners, sent
here to make preliminary arrangements
for taking over the administration OF
the town, upon their arrival were boot
ed and jeered by a great crowd, vege-
tables were thrown at their carriage
and black flags hung from most of the
public buildings. They seem powerless,
UNFAIRLY informed in their offices here.
|tually voluntarily informed in their Of
fees here.
This little city, which the Hungarians
call Sopron, is the metropolis of that
strip of territory which the Peace Con-
ference took from Hungary and gave to
Austria on economic, ethnologic and
strategic grounds.
It's loss has caused the Budapest gov
eminent to make various proposals to
Austria in an effort to retain it, all OF
which have been refused. Meanwhile
the men here very generally wear the
Hungarian colorS in their coat lapels
and the women on their hats or as hair
ribbons. The Austrians charge that the
demonstration against their mission
was a governmentally organized af-
fair.
The Hungarian government has en-
deavored. it is charged, to create the
impression that this region is prepon-
derantly Hungarian in race, tongue and
by prediction. The Vienna govern
ment, on the other hand, has resisted
this with counter claims that the peo-
lple are dominantly Germanic by blood,
language and desire.
OF late weeks there has been consid-
cradle publicity given semi official
Austrian statements that, pending their
withdrawal, the Hungar1ans were op-
pressing the Austrian population, re-
Questioning material Of all kinds and
generally wreaking their revenge in
much the same way the Rumanians did
to them. 1t was even stated in high
Vienna quarters that farmers horses
were being taken away.
These reports were so persistent as
to lead the correspondent for The AS
soclated Press to attempt a first-hand
investigation. This has covered ten
typical villages, exclusive of this little
capital, with talks here and there with
peasants in the fields or along the
roads.
1t is fair to say that in the region
visited no evidence in support of the al
legged Hungarian oppression or requi-
sitioning was to be had. The net i'm
preston gained was that the majority
of the population in the localities COW
erred are in favor of union with Ans
tria. One reason assigned by the peas
ants was because the Magyars, they
said, had never given them proper
schools. Their children were poorly
taught, If taught at ALL and they at
least knew the Austrians had good
schools. Then, Vienna was their mar
Ket. Budapest was a long way Off The
Hungarian official classes were "un-
sympathetic with the farmer" and so
on. This was echoed in other towns,
Naturally, there was dissent. Here and
there men talked of the Vienna Com
munist government, with which they
wanted nothing to do.
Here in Odenburg at present an AL
lied Commission is sitting, composed of
British, French and Italian officers.
watching over affairs until the Aus
TRANS take hold.