Evening star., 1934-03-11
BY SIR PHILIP GIBBS, X. B. e.

BY SIR PHILIP GIBBS. X. b. e.
BUDAPEST, March 10 (By Radio).
The Hungarian people are still liv-
ing on the hope that somehow and at
some time they may regain their
ancient place in Europe, their two mil
lion kinfolk who are now cut off from
them and a king of their own to wear
the iron crown OF St. Stephen.
Fifteen years ago these hopes were
expressed with passion: now they are
held in patience by people who have
realized at last that revision of the
treaties which cut them in pieces cam
not be obtained by any heroic adven-
ture Of their own. They know that
the price of revision now would be a
European war, and they do not want
that
The Hungarians await a turn in
fortunes Wheel some trick Of destiny,
for the fulfillment Of those national
hopes which are still unforgettable in
the Hungarian heart. They want a
king of their own.
In Budapest have been talking
with people who believe that this part
OF their hope may not be far away,
though not immediate. But, strange
as 1t may seem to English people, who
have been excited unduly. perhaps. by
newspaper reports of Hapsburg re-
vival, the Hungarians are hostile to
the return of the Archduke Otto as
Emperor Of Austro- Hungary. They
remember that Francis Joseph ruled
them from Vienna and came only once
to Budapest.
Shun Austrian Union,
But if Otto would be King of Hum
gary, elected by the people according
to ancient tradition. they would swear
allegiance to him. Otto has been
educated by Hungarians. Hungary
never conflscated the royal estates.
The iron crown Is waiting for him
now. unless the powers would declare
war if he came The Hungarians
won't risk that, knowing their help
lessness. They do not even want q
union with Austria. So 1 am told in
Budapest.
AS one of my Hungarian friends
put it briefly. Two beggars d. not
make one rich man" The Hunea-
rians prefer to stand alone rather
than have an economic union with
Austria, sharing the troubles of that
country and the internal difficulties
which they are watching with alarm.
Here in Budapest find a general
belief that Austria Is bound to 20
Nazi. The Hungarians are con-
vinced that the German influence
will be too strong for Austria to re-
slst, in spite of Italian support and
money. 1t is in the instinct of the
country people outside OF Vienna.
Sooner or later. they say. "anschluss"
or union with Germany, is inevitable.
They do not like the idea of that.
1t is not too much to say that many
liberal Hungarians dread it. They
are afraid that a united Germanic
race. reaching to the door of Hun
gary, would slam the last door against
them westward in Europe, and that
pan -Germanism would reach even
into Hungary itself. where there
are blocks of German folk on the
other side of the Danube a few miles
from Budapest.
Hungary is very much alone in
this game which is being played
by the great powers with Austria as
the kings pawn on the chessboard.
Czechoslovakia. which contains enor-
nous numbers of Hungarian folk. is
not friendly. With long-range guns
it could fling shells into Budapest.
1t refuses to extend any commercial
reciprocity to Hungarian products
unless all claims to treaty revision
are withdrawn. and the present gov
ernment in Budapest refuses utterly
to surrender these claims.
Hope Dollfuss Survives.
The Czech-Hungarian trade treaty
was revoked in 1928 and Hungary
had to seek new markets in Italy,
Austria and Germany at time when
the price of wheat, upon which her
peasants live. had dropped from 80
pengoes, or Hungarian shillings, to
pengoes. After four years of dire
poverty. with thousands of hungry
peasants, they are doing better am
told. Italy is taking Hungarian grain
and other products and may take
more. For that reason they are on
friendly terms with the Italians and
they are hopeful that the Dollfuss
government in Austria may survive,
though they think that is very
doubtful, as I have said.
One hears many things in Buda-
pest which are even whispered in
Vienna. One thing I heard from a
man most in position to know is
surprising hint of strange and sinis-
ter regrouping Of the powers and of
clash of European policies. Yugo-
slavia. he said, processes publicly to
be hostile to a German union with
Austria. AS member of the French
system for upholding the peace
treaties, Yugoslavia proclaims its hos
tility to "anschluss," but secretly
Yugoslavia is not at all unwilling to
see Austria fall into the arms Of
Germany. 1t would be a check, al
most checkmate, to Mussolini's dip
iomatic game, which is a duel with
The Yugoslavs across the body OF
Austria.
I have been hearing other things
in Budapest which are, to say the
least. further revelation that
Europe at the present time is stir
ring with secret intrigues and d.
plomacy which bode no good to the
ideals of peace and leave out Of all
account the happiness and prosperity
of peasants and other people who
know nothing of all this interna-
tional game of poker for high stakes
of power and ambition.
It is one Of the paradoxes of his