AN ENEMY VIEW OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 152, 16 March 1918, Page 3

AN ENEMY VIEW OF THE WAR

WHAT A HUNGARIAN RADICAL THINKS

AMERICA'S ENTRY

(By H. B. Wakefield.)

[Published by, the War Office and forwarded by courtesy of the Royal Colonial Institute.! Amongst the numerous emissaries of Central Powers now "taking a holiday" at Berne is a certain ° Dr. Jaszi, leader of tho Hungarian Radical Tarty. He is an ndvanesd democrat and universally recognised as an honest and able man. There are signs that ho lias been, to some extent, "collared" by the Government, that he has become less liberal in his attitude towards the racial minorities in Hungary, and that ho is at present doing propaganda work for the Government. Still, he is a sincere and distinguished figure, and his views on crucial current topics are worth recording.

He declares that there is no longer in ' Hungary any faith in the ability of tho U-boat campaign to starve out England; that thinking men in Germany and Austria are coming round to the opinion that its inception, resulting as it did in America's entry into the war, was a ghastly blunder. For, bad the TJ.S.A. still been neutral at tho time of tho Russian Revolution, she would almost certainly have proposed arbitration, which would have resulted in universal peace. It is significant and important to find that intelligent opinion among the people of the Central Powers is becoming convinced of what the Entente Allies have always maintained—that America's entry into the war was the greatest blow Germauy has suffered in her history, and that Tirpitz has been one of the chief agents in her ruin. This opinion will undoubtedly spread. At present it is_ clear that the Hungarians are ludicrously ignorant of what the army of America will mean for them. Before he came to Berne Dr. Jaszi believed that the American effort would not amount to rmich. He considered -that she was. only capable of or willing to send a few divisions to France, and that not for a long time. He confesses that what he has learnt since he has, been in Berne has boen a great surprise and shock to him. He now realises that America is "all in," and that her contribution will be decisive. * He states that many people in Hungary believe that the American Army's real objective is Japan. It will bo trained for an American "Day." As in the case of Great Britain's effort, it is obvious that the people of the Central Powers are always capable of hiding their heads in the sand of an alternative, optimistic, but hopelessly inaccurate explanation of their enemies' actions. Bi\ Jaszi does not deny that the longing for peace is almost overwhelming. 'He himself, as an advanced] democrat and a, bitter and life-long foe of modern militarism, is horrified (so he says) at the steady, remorseless , slaughter of Europe. He declares that all the best elements in Germany and Austria are hunting for a formula which will satisfy the Entente. Ho believes the soldiers will have a good deal.to say to their Governments after their tongues aro loosed by demobilisation. He believes firmly in the possibility of eternal peace hereafter, provided that two broad principles are laid down at the Peace Conference: (1) Universal suffrage amongst all peoples, which will destroy militarism; (2) free trade all round. He states that no one in Hungary feels the least affection for Turkey. She is of some military importance, but no one cares in the least what will happen to her after the war.

It is clear from all this that intelligent men in Hungary are thoroughly disillusioned and longing for peace. Once they understand what the intervention of America must moan for them this disillusionment and longing will bo greatly accentuated.