The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-01-06
HallE[
Of REDS DENIED M
PRIME nIh|sTERHUsSAR
ny KARL WOW wiECAnp.


Berlin. Jan. -4s--Prfme Minister Hus-
sar. Of Hungary, in personal tele-
gram to me from Budapest refutes the
widespread stories of the White Ter-
ror. reigning in Hungary. He declares
the sensational stories of, 5000 Boil
chcvists having been summarily exc
cuted by his government with = view
to Graduating Boishevism in Hungary
root and branch are ridiculous" The
premier himself for the FIRST time gives
official figures of the number killed by
the Bolshevists during Bella Kun 3
reign. At the same time. he frankly
states the number Of those condemned
to death and executed under the new
government for communistic crimes.
His telegram fellows:
"Wiegand,
-Chief editorial staff representative.
Universal Service, for Central Eu-
rope. Berlin:
The Hungarian government IL en-
deavoring by every means to carry out
the construction Of the country's dam
age caused by the Bolshevism and then
by the Rumanian occupation. are SIM
ply enormous. Our country Is In most
difriculf situation because OF the dire
lack of foodstuffs and raw materials.
'tThe hope however. is justified that
with the resumption of the task of the
reconstruction our economic life Will
soon be brought about, The govern
rent has all needed measures that
Hungary never again shall be ADAM
coned to the danger of Bolshevism.
Reports that terror is reigning in
Hungary and that thousands have been
executed because of their political
views are false. ! am personally thor
| eughly informed about every prosecu-
tion commenced against Bolsheyists
And about verdicts rendered and exc
cutions as well.
.Up to the present time the courts
have rendered twenty three death sem
renees Which have been carried prt,
and a number Of individuals have re-
ceived prison sentences.
"All these persons were guilty Of the
lnest brutal crimes-murder. robbery.
iGefraudation OF public moneys. etc.
etc. We hanged the leader OF the ter
rorist troops who served as body
guardto Bella Kun and who had through
his people caused numerous innocent
citizens to be murdered. The number
of persons who Aince August have been
killed in Hungary without trial is only
les.
THE number Of those condemned and
| executed by the Bolshevist revolution
| airy tribunals exceeded 1000.
7 These. added to the citizens that fell
| victims to Crerny's and Samueliy's ter
rcrist TROOPS. make a total OF moro
than 1000 wantonly killed. Just how
many citizens who were forcibly i'm
/ pressed into the Red Army and then
sarimarily executed for refusing or
failing to obey orders is not yet nally
ascertained, but in any case 1t Is a
| large number.
| I'm Hungary, every person Is tried
and judged before a competent court
upon the basis of the laws of the coun
try No one has been condemned to
death for political crime. nor will this
be done in the future. but II In i'm
4 POSSIBLE to consider murderers and rob-
bers political criminals. when. as q
matter OF fact they themselves de.
| ciared that they murdered and robbc cd
for political reasons.
Maintenance OF public order apd
peace throughout the country Is only
possibly by firmly enforcing the laws
| This the Hungarian government is do
ing without any thoughts OF revenge
or tyranny.
The reports circulated abroad that
s.aoo communists have been executed
III Hungary emanate from well-knowr
communicate circles and are too ridi-
culous to call for an answer"