POST-WAR EUROPE

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1930, Page 7

POST-WAR EUROPE

TREATMENT OF MINORITIES

A Sx'JONO INDICTMENT.

LONDON, May 30

Professor C. Stanton Hicks, former* ’y of Dunedin and now Professor at the Adelaide University, has been making an extended tour of Europe, mainly for scientific research, but he has also interested himself in politics. In a letter from Vienna he writes very feelingly in regard to the partitioning of Eurone as a result of the Peace Treaty, and constitutes himself a strong, advocate for the right of his minorities.

, Dr. and Mrs Hicks visited many places in Italy. “We noted,” he says, “that the Fascisti regime had made improvements, though the' übiquitous Fascist himself became rather boring. The sight of smartly cleaned locomotives, steaming in with polished ‘Fasces’ before the funnel reminds one of the presence of IT .Duee, even in Vienna. Milan is dirty and noisy—more so than one would credit. Everywhere in the country there is evidence of the Risorgimento, and there are many lessons to be learned from a vis't to Italy.

“From Venice, over Udine and the T'lliun Alps, we travelled to Vienna, Tho plains of Campo Forfnio recall Cavour, the last Napoleon who wept to see the slaughter in this area of the dreaded Hapsburg Triangle, the Sardinian king who. was to rule united Italy, and Garibaldi, the patriot whoso birthplace .was given to France as a bribe for his dilatory aid. Udine was the headquarters of the Austrian army during the Great. War. The people speak with kindness ;o'f their bnemy guests. It is a pity that an Austrian airman dropped a bomb just in front of the famous Cathedral of St. Mark, in Venice. It spoiled a good record, and leaves a permanent denunciation inscribed .upon a marble slab let into •the spot.

in their homes to their German parents, who know no Italian—but let us hope that the League of Nations will sooner or later end this injustice. The Tyroleans do not ever cry to go back to their brethren in Austria, a most just settlement. All they ask is that tliev may use their own language, and when they die they may have the privilege of inscribing their names in German on their tombstone.

“The Peace Treaty with Austria, it must be remembered, was relatively recently concluded, and .most assiduously gave away to the neighbouring .States every important railway centre. A glimpse at the map indicates the astonishing degree to which the frontier has been lso manipulated. The effect upon traffic is, of course, lamentable for Austria. To go from Tylangenfurth to Graz, a two hours’ express journey, now requires a day. Vienna seems rather better in appearance than in 1925, though the reconstruction of the Palais de Justice stands as a grim reminder of the tragedy in 1927, when a. crowd of students and other of Socialistic leanings gathered to protest at the acquittal thy a biasesd jiirvi of some Austrian Fascists who had shot a child and an cx-soldicr bv firing upon a party of‘ Socialists with whom they had come into contact in the Pergenlaml. Poverty and anpalling unemployment still prevail, and only a Pan-Europa with a 7fdlvereitt can rehabilitate the Wreckage of ottr post-Wal' madness and its treaties. The state of Hungary is, in this connexion, lamentable, Only yesferduv come lmws of the severe handling of Jugo-Slnvia of the Croat agitators for freedom. They long to go back to Hnncnrv. or, failing that, to h e given autonomy.

THE 1927 TREATY

“Roumania, who did so little in the war, and who Was beaten by this proud people in the first days .of her entry,” Dr. Hicks concludes, “has been given Transylvania, while Czechoslovakia . has been given all the Northern mountains and valleys with the Slovaks, with whom Hungary has lived in union for a thousand years. Vo Now Zealander who pays .a-visit to this land and meets this, handsome, and proud people, could believe until he is shown .a map, how “To a New Zealander,” Dr Hicks great an injustice is done by the,Treaty continued, “Australia must always ap- df St. Germain in 1927. Unless, and peal as one of the most beautiful until, this blunder is righted git is countries of the world. It has every useless to imagine that peace can prebeauty •• but that of a sea coast, and vail in Europe. It is political wirein addition, is peopled by a charming pulling of one, if not two, Great Powand ddvable folk. Here one begins to ers, that is the dues ex machina in find the injustices of treaties settled by this matter. Our Easter visit to war-weary nations. It is, of course, Budapest was a rebuke to our ignorobvipus that the South Tyrol treat- anceofthis country. Mettemisch has meiit at present is. one of the worst much to answer for in this, connexion attempts at denationalising a brave —he was too ready to refer to Runpeople that has never been made, gary as ‘already Asia,’ Austria has These Tyroleans, whose fighting ability always maintained that Serbia eligiilwas so great that no Italian ever set oered the assassination ,of the Archfoot in their land during the war, duke of Austria. In Belgrade last must now in Bozen gaze upon the year was erected a statue of the assthe. statue erected to the Italian gen- assin, and it was unveiled with era! who was unable to conquer them, pomp and ceremony, only the English and read the eulogy to his “achieve- Ambassador was conspicuous by his ment,” Children may not talk German absence.”-,

AUSTRIA’S CONDITION