A UNIFIED HUNGARY

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1931, Page 2

A UNIFIED HUNGARY

RECORD OF TEN FEVERISH YEARS,

EUROPE’S CABINET DEAN. The dean of Europe's premiers, Count Stephen Bethlen, recently rounded out ten years as head of the Hungarian Cabinet. It was on April 19, 1921, that this slender polo-playing, statesman made his first parliamentary speech as Premier, Under him the country has progressed from a war-torn Bolshevik-riddled state, without money and almost without form, to a compact, cohesive nation with a stabilised currency and a programme of land, social welfare and educational reform.

The debacle of 1918 broke up the Austro-Hungarian empire and forced the abdiction of King Carlos. Then came a revolution, the establishment of a Republic under Count Michael Karolyi, its overthrow by the Communist regime of Bela Kun and intervention by a Rumanian army to stop rioting and bloodshed, Hungary was proclaimed a monarchy with Admiral Nicholas Horthy as regent in 1920, but four successive Cabinets failed to restore stability. Then the. regent gave the helm to Bethlen.

He found the domain reduced by the Treaty of Trianon. which gave Transylvania to Roumania and Croatia and Slavonia to Yugoslavia. This constituted 68 per cent o, the territory and 59 per cent of its population. M oreover, the railroads were broken down, the currency was almost worthless, relations with neighbouring States were shaky and King Carlos was making sporadic attempts to regain the throne. ,

The League of Nations took over the finances, placing Jeremiah Smith, ol Boston, in charge. In two years a new monetary unit was in effect, the railroads had regained much of tlieir efficiency, and Smith returned home, refusing the fee of £20,000 proffered for his services. Count Bethlen was credited with much of the success of this rehabilitat ion. His ability to make friends fo: himself and his country is one of his greatest assets, and it has served him in good stead, both at home and abroad. The count comes from one of the ancient ruling families of the “iosl province” of Transylvania, where lie was born in 1874.