Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-30
PRO- HUNGARIAN
CITY IN PROTEST
Odenburg Voices Her Appeal
Against Being Separated
From Hungary.

ODENBURG, German West Hun
gary, March 19.-Ited, white n
green posters with legends of protest
against the separation of this pro-
Hungarian city from Hungary, and
Its accession By Austria as soon as the
peace is ratified. appear in nearly
every house n shop window.
Two Austrian commissioners, sent
here to make preliminary arrange
Iments for taking over the administra-
tion of the town, upon their arrival
were hooted and jeered by a great
vegetables were thrown at
their carriage and black flags hung
from most of the public n other
buildings. They seem poweriess. 1T Is
said, and are now virtually voiuntar-
lily interned in their offices here.
This little city, which the Hungar-
'ians call Sopron. is the metropolis of
that strip of territory which the peace
conference took from Hungary and
gave to Austria on economic. ethno-
logic and strategic grounds.
Its loss caused the Budapest govern
.ment to make various proposals to
Austria in an effort to retain 1t, all OF
which have beer 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 organiz-
ed affair.
The Hungarian government has n
deavored it is charged. to create the
impression that this region Is prepon-
tIerantly Hungarian in race, tongue
and by prediction. The Vienna
government, on the other hand, has
resisted his with counter claims that
the people are deminantly Germanic
- hIDaa IapO 4 or aud dncira
OF late weeks there has been con-
siderable publicity given semi-ofhcial
statements that, pending
their withdrawal, the Hungarians
were expressing the Austrian popula-
ton. requisitioning material OF all
kinds and generally wreaking their
revenge in much the same way the
did to them. 1t was even
in high Vienna quarters That
farmers horses were being taken
away.
These reports were so persistent as
to lead the correspondent for The
Press to attempt a first
hand investigation. This has covered
typical villages. exclusive of this
little capital. with talks here and there
with peasants in the fields or along the
roads.
It is fair to say that in the region
no evidence in support of the
alleged Hungarian oppression or re-
QUESTIONING was to be had. The net
gained was that the ma
jority of the population in the locali-
ties covered are in favor of union with
One reason assigned by the
peasants was because the Magyars,
they said, had never given, them prop
er schools. Their children were poor
1y taught, If taught at all, and they
at least knew the austrians had good
schools. Then, Vienna vas heir mar
ket. Budapest was q long way off.
The Hungarian official classes were
'unsympathetic with the farmer" and
SO on. This was echoed in other
Naturally. there was dissent.
Here and there men talked of the
Vienna communist government, with
they wanted nothing to do.
Here is Odenburg at present an
Allied Commission Is sitting, COM
posed q British, French and Italian
officers, watching e affairs until the
Austrians take hold.
This is a vine country. 1t has al
ways looked to Hungary for its grain
supply and fear exists hat this may
be cut off. Thus the economic prob
lem assumes a very vital phase for
Austria which must supply at least
much grain as this region has re-
ceived heretofore.
While the territory involved is small
and the population only about 400, 900
the strategic aspect of this area
probably Is Its most important one.
Austria's present frontier Is regarded
as dangerous in hat Vienna and
Wiener Neustadt. as we'll as many
other industrial centers lying along
the main line Of the railway, are bus
a little distance from Hungary, easily
open to attack from that more power
full neighbor. The acquisition of
German West Hungary Is thus q de-
fenSiVe terrain for Austria.