The Denver Jewish news., 1921-06-22
The Situation Of the Jews
in Hungary
Continued from Page One.) )

oNH eye.
Recent revelations MATTE in the
Hungarian parliament by Mr.. Ia
kanyi, who is not, incidentally, either
II Jew or a liberal, but is II former
[ leader of the Violently anti-Semitic
awakening Hungarians," reveal
shocking conditions in the two intern
ment camps at PIliscsabo and Zalae-
gerszeg. Zakanyi stated on the floor
and in tile lobby that numbers had
been shot and that the rape of women
and girls had been so universal that
practically the whole camp was in
fected with disease. For long time
it has been suspected that conditions
in the camps were far from satisfact-
ory. Few foreign relief organizations
operating i'm Hungary have cared to
interfere in SO delicate n situation. and
i happen to know that the Secretary
of the Joint Distribution committee.
in whose field an investigation OF
conditions certainly fell. was denied
admission to the camps by the Gov
ernment authorities, and it has oply
t'tII "ithih lew NttNS. "i'ti
an American Joined the staff. that the
Joint has managed to penetrate I'M
to the camps.
1t is distinctly my impression that
the Jews in Hungary suffer from the
fact that they have no leaders who
are not intimidated. I believe that
two or three Jews Of influence-and
there are more than that number of
Jews in Hungary who WELD
great COMMERCIAL power-who woull
publicly raise row in Hun
gary today and would he will
ing to take the consequences, would
find that there were no consequences
except that public opinion towards
the Jews would rapidly change for
the better. The trouble with the Jews
i'm Hungary is that instead of pro-
testing openly and effectively against
the violation of fundamental human
rights they seek to better their con-
ditiOn by protection" by 'gtm-shoe'
methods, and by constantly asserting
their oneness with the Hungarian Gov
III I'LL on tue
hand, Vienna journalists. having no
love for Hungary and being glad to
use the anti Semitic activities of
the Hungarians for theIc own ends.
exaggerate the situation, report 300
Jews killed where one has been beat
en-, and the responsibility, for the re.
ports falls upon the Jews anyway!
They have nothing to gain. in my
mind. from continued acGuiescence. or
underground resistance.
Nevertheless. the whole situation in
Hungary. as far az the Jews are CON
cerned, is better than it was year
ago. At that time many We're going
over to Christianity and peing baptiz-
ed. Today many of these converts
have come back into the Jewish fold.
Indeed. I was amazed to learn from
the Rabbi of "Obuda.' section in
the third district where working men
live. that in his parish during the past
year there have been only two con-
versions from Judaism to Christianity
and eleven from Christianity to Juda-
ism. OF the eleven converts to Juda-
ism six We're women and five We're
men. and i'm not a single case was a
marriage between Jew and Gentile in
volved. In every place the convert
wishing to embrace the Jewish faith
gave as one reason that christianity
does not practice what 1t breaches"
and many said. ''The Jew : are so per-
secuted for their religion that we feel
there must he something wonderful
about it,
II is well to remember that in the
middle of the nineteenth century there
was an anti-Semitic rising among the
Hungarian peasants. and to recall
that it was the peasants themselves
who finally came TO town in wagons
and carts searching for those whom
they had driven forth-because they
found they could not get along with
out them.
Today. even Count Andrassy. leader
of the Christian nationalist party
which numbers the leading anti-Sem-
ties in its ranks. admits that with
out the Jews Hungary would be a
sorry country I'VE are all gentle
men," The said to me re,ently), "and
we don't have much aptitude for bust
ness" 1t is only too bad that the
wealthy, intrenched Hungarian Jews
do so little to make Count Andrassy
realize that Hungary cannot accept
their services with one hand and per-
secute their brothers with the other.
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