Evening star., 1923-07-08
HUNGARY STILL
. KINGDOM, NO KING
President Rules Over Royal
Country Seeking Lost
Provinces.

By Cablo to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
BUDAPEST, Hungary, July T.
The government Of Hungary Is in 9
most anomalous condition. It may
fairly be said to be kingdom with
the king lacking. All public insti.
tutions are designated by the term
royal" The Hungarian ministers are
royal ministers, the Hungarian
legations abroad are royal" lega-
royal" post Offices. On the Hunga-
rian wise on my passport are stamped
the words Royal Hungarian Lega-
tion."
The average Hungarian will say
that Hungary Is still kingdom. AS
the Hapsburg king, Charles, was pre-
vented from returning to Hungary
the acting executive head of the
country Is a governor. who Is elected
by and responsible to parliament.
He Is not elected for any definite
period and his powers are not clearly
defined. Admiral Horthy, who holds
the office, led the white revolution
that drove the bolshevists from power
at Budapest. The governor Is the
commander-in-c chief of the army. can
convoke or dissolve parliament and
appoints the prime ministers and
other ministers. These are generally
members of pO rliament, but not neces-
sarily. After their appointment the
ministers are responsible to parlia-
ment. The governor does not possess
the power to confer nobility or civil
decorations. These powers are held
to be in abeyance during the vacancy
In the Office of king. Old titles of
nobility are still recognized but
carry no special privileges.
Twenty Political Parties.
The parliament consists Of only one
branch called the chamber Of deputies,
numbering 245. A quorum is fixed at
the low number Of fifty. In this respect
Hungary has gone to one extreme and
Czechoslovakia to the other. Laws are
enacted by simple majority of the
members present. In debates In the
chamber of deputies it has been said
organization is only provisional. and
that parliament will not be complete
until the restoration of the house of
magnates That house. when it was in
existence, consisted Of the high nobility,
high church officials and persons ap-
pointed by the king.
There are more than twenty political
parties in Hungary, some of which are
entirely without representation in par
Lament. Some parties or groups are
leaders.
Landed Interests Control.
1t will be noted that the Christian,
little farmers and citizens party has
sufficient votes to control the chamber
of deputies. 1t is combination of sew
eral previously existing parties. The
landowners. both large and small, gen.
trolled by the old Magyar landed
oligarchy.
OF the other minor political parties
which support the government the
group Wolf is anti-Semitic, the Chris
tian socialist is the Catholic party, and
large commercial interests.
The largest opposition party, the
social democrats, are nominally sup
porters of the second internstionals.
The members are not communists. In
the United States or England this
party would be described as a labor
party rather than socialist. This party
favors the restoration of the Haps-
burgs and demands the restoration of
the ancient boundaries of Hungary. 1t
Is perhaps the most chauvinistic party
in the country of all Europe where
chauvinism Is today the strongest.
The group Haller supports the Haps-
burg claims. 1t Is also anti-Semitic
The small group Vassibji is COM
posed of liberals. and the group Ras-
soy may NC SidoScu dS TdulC6lS. Inc
members are in favor of radical re-
form with relation to the ownership
of agricultural property, and are
against every reStriction of political
The little farmers-1s4s-Kos
party has a small membership, which
bases its platform upon the historical
principles of the revolution of 1913
in Hungary.
Hope to Recover Lost Territory.
Since the close of the war Hungary
has passed with surprising rapidity
and slight after effects through a
revolution and a counter revolution,
through a red terror" and white
terror" The general tone of public
sentiment on all internal questions is
decidedly conservative.
The right to vote is nominalIy uni
Versal. The system. however. of a
secret voting in the towns, but public
and open voting in the country dis
tricts. In reality permits the aristo-
Gratis TO control elections.