Evening star., 1939-04-26
BY FRANK SMOTHERS,

CHICAGO Daily News Foreign Correspondent
BUDAPEST. April 26 Thy Radio.
Hungary today has two chief
emotions and one occupation. The
emotions are fear and dislike of
Reichsfuehrer Adolf Hitler's Ger
many. The chief occupation is to
avoid the wrath and guns of the
mighty Reich.
Hungary's answer to Hitler's lit
tie query, DO you feel menaced?"
consequently is. doubtless, satisfac-
tory to the Fuehrer.
Hungarian fear of Hitler and his
Nazis is all but unanimous, accord
ing to wholly competent observers
here. But the governments zeal
not to cross Herr Hitler is equally
apparent among its various mani
festatlons. such as the recent press
attacks on the democracies and on
President Roosevelt's message to
the axis dictators.
I'VE have to say this sort of thing
in public" the Hungarians have
said. Hungary is in the hands of
Hitler's outfit. If Germany goes to
war she can almost certainly, if
she wishes, push Hungary into it
as her spearhead against Rumania.
Similar Situation in Bulgaria.
There are great similarities be-
tween the situation here and in Bull
garia. In both countries fear of
Germany is dominant. Over both
Germany exerts enormous pressure
through their fear that she may in
wade them and through Germany's
domination of their present and
prospective foreign trade There
are territorial aspirations" at the
expense of their neighbors; Ger
many has promised to help them
realize these aspirations If Hitler
goes to war.
But Hungary is more easily caught
in the net than Bulgaria-partly
because she directly adjoins Ger
many, whereas German troops would
need to cross Hungary and Yugo-
slavia or Rumania before reaching
Bulgaria.
When this correspondent was in
Sofia indications were that as things
stood Germany could by a combina-
ton of threat and promise. get
observation-disclosures with great bit
terness of heart-on her side as
belligerent in a war. In Hungary's
place that probability is much larger
Reich's Intention Big Question.
A bigger question is. therefore,
whether Germany will desire to do
so; whether she will prefer to use
Hungary as granary or. by tacitly,
or openly. threatening invasion on
the one hand, while dangling on
the other the bait of Rumania's
Pennsylvania CHungary's greatest
revisionist dreamy push against the
Rumanian Army, German troops
"co-operating."
There is a difference of opinion
on that question here. The answer
presumably will depend primarily
on whether German desires to in
wade and occupy Rumania, or trust
to her supplies as neutral;
whether Germany would consider
armed penetration deeper in the
Balkans during general hostilities
advisable, and upon Germanys in
tended use of Ruthenia (Carpatho-
Ukrainia), now under Hungary.
But whether as IAN ally" in war
or vassal in peace, Hitler has
Hungary so neatly roped that only
a political earthquake in Europe or
q democratic victory over Germany
could free her.
Horthy May Put Out Chin.
True, observers believe that if Ger
many started marching into Hun
gary without prior agreement"
Hungary would resent it, in which
case she would be smacked. It is
suggested that if Hitler called
Admiral Nicholas Horthy-regent of
this monarchy without a monarch
or a prospective monarch-to
Berchtsgaden, and peremptorily de-
manded an immediate march on
Pennsylvania, Horthy might we'll be
the man to put his chin out" and
refuse-but Hitler will not need to
work it as callously as that.
Admiral Horthy and Prime Min
lister Count Paul Teleki are described
to me as anti-German, like the rest
of the country. That does not seem
to have much effect upon the coun-
try's policy.
However hopeless the situation in
Hungary may now appear, geography
and Bulgarian sentiment are such
that a large influence by the West
ern democratic powers exists in Bull
garia. If Bulgaria can be convinced
that Germany cannot win, the
chances of her resisting German
bribes, or aiding the democracies
passively, or, eventually, actively,
will be increased. Obviously, the
best way England and France could
prove that Germany cannot win
would be genuine Anglo
Russian alliance; their best means,
as well, for turning the tide against
Hitler in all Europe.
Hungary Has Old Claims.
Meanwhile, the Hungarians have
been ready enough to aid the axis