Evening star., 1942-06-07
Hungary q Victim of
Dictatorship
BIZ Frederic J. Hdsktn.

|
declaration Of war, Hungary stands out
most prominently as the victim Of
dictatorial political system.
OF course, Hungary lost substantial
| territory in the division of spoils in
| Europe after the close of the First World
War; Stripped of much of its farmland.
along with many of its technical and
] educational institutions, 1t was left to
be finished by what time has proved
to be internal traitors. For many years
a pawn of Hitler, Hungary follows the
| Nazi pattern.
Budapest, the capital, with its more
than 100000 inhabitants, once was con-
sidered one Of the greatest, If not the
greatest, cities in all Southeast Europe.
With its cafes, theaters, hotels and spec
tacular night clubs, it was rival Of say
Paris. Even after the war the city's
restaurants, as palatial and pompous as
any in the world, were filled with stiff
shirted walters and thousands Of pa
irons, while gypsy bands played their
wistful music. But that was in another
day, for when the little country felt the
recent depression, which hit 1t the hard
| est in 1881, these spectacular scenes
| passed, and all seemed like a subdued
panic. The country never regained its
economic poise. 1t could not because Of
its form of government.
However, these gradual changes came
to Hungary not as the direct result Of
hard times, for not only Budapest but
all Hungary lost its superopulence
through the manipulation of Hungarian
| politicians. When the clouds cleared
after their speeches, articles, pamphlets
and posters, which in reality were TO help
sell Hungarian bonds, nothing was left
but clammy vapor and the reality Of
ruin and decline stood revealed at last
more grim and terrible than ever, al
though fundamentally unchanged. Buda-
past always has been a city of brilliant
display and extreme poverty and foreign
loans used to promote the one but did
| not alleviate the other.
Hungary has had a colorfuI and spec
tacular career since its inception about
| 1000 A. D. Each regime had different
name, but the pattern of each was al
most the same. OF special interest, too.
! is the fact that none Of its regimes has
ever been overthrown, but each fell be-
! cause of its own weakness. In modern
times the Socialists for a while were in
charge but they were inexperienced.
| Organized labor numbered less than
| 100000 in a country with more than
! 100000 inhabitants, and peasants were
still submerged class. Then came the
Hapsburgs and the semi-futile nobility,
but this regime, like its predecessor.
failed to bring order out of chaos. The
so-called liberal regime followed, and
this in turn collapsed and made way for
Bolshevik regime which broke down
under foreign pressure and because of
its own inadequacy.
After various forms of government in
Hungary had failed at stabilizing the
| country, it fell into the hands of a die
tator, not by name, but through an
agency known as the White Terror. That
organization still exists and is made up
of officers of the former Hungarian
Army. The purpose of the White Ter
ror organization has been to keep thou
sands of Hungarians not only from the
| polls to vote, but from their own coun-
|
Hungary's finest intellects, have been
living as exiles in Vienna, Berlin, Paris,
Moscow and elsewhere.
But while dictatorship actually came
into power In Hungary about 10 years
ago, bureaucracy still fourished and it
has been through this that dictatorship
has not only been able to survive, but
to make itself more powerful Ironically
enough it is the great middle class that
for several decades most has needed the
| defending hand of practical and under
standing government.
| Dictatorship in Hungary has accom-
plished work of vast destruction, unparal-
leled in any European state. Even local
government, which once was highly de-
veloped, was abolished. while the farm
cooperative movement perhaps the
country's greatest aSset-was allowed to
decline. Even Hungarian art letters and
science have not escaped the country's
general decay. Genius as in no other
country has been languishing in poverty
and rebellious. fretful isolation. while in
competence often is rewarded with fame
and aff1uence.
There are no people in Europe kinder
and more hospitable than the Hupgarians
and none more richly endowed with
varied and brilliant gifts, and 1t is this
that makes the dictatorship destructive
of the best which an otherwise free peo-
pie might accomplish.
The present size of Hungary is ap-
| proximately three times that of Mary
land, the land practically level and the
soil watered by the Danube Farming
being the main industry, the country.
until two decades ago, enjoyed an econ
omy favorable to a small country.
Droughts and the worldwide depression
did their damage, but not beyond repair.
Meantime, the farmers were given many
| promises that the government would
help to alleviate their condition. In
stead, however. bureaucracy continued to
| reign, hiding the real hand of dictator
who had continued to rule under the
misnomer of admiral.
In the world upheaval of war the small
country of Hungary perhaps will become
no important factor in the struggle. But
| the lesson it teaches by showing what
happens to the masses when they loss
the power of the ballot should not 80
unlearned by the democracies.
CommendubIe Suggestion
| From the Memphis Commercial Appeal:
| Following weeks and months of back.