Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8. 1940. POLICY OF HUNGARY.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8. 1940. POLICY OF HUNGARY.

JN the public square in every big town in Hungary there stand four urns containing earth from the territories severed from Hungary after the Great War, with a flag at half mast and a hand at the top of the staff upraised in protest against the dismemberment, of the Kingdom ol St Stephen. Ihe return of these territories is the cardinal point ol Huhgai) s policy. But the problem has confronted her with a dilemma. Hitherto she could only have achieved revision with the assistance of Germany, but in accepting that assistance she might have placed herself in complete servitude to her powerlul neighbour. So long as Austria. Hungary’s former partner, survived, a dim possibility offered that the monarchy would be restored in both countries, that the King would return to the Kingdom of St Stephen’s Crown, take over from the Regent and be crowned on Budapest. Il was the envoys ol St Stephen who in the year 1000 obtained a royal crown from Pope Sylvester 11. and St Stephen welded the Magyar tribes into a strong centralised State. With the Anschluss ol .\lareh. 1938, the possibility of a renewal of the kingdom disappeared, and any renewal of partnership .with the great Germanic family came Io mean alliance with Berlin, the foremost enemy of the Hapsbnrgs. But the burning desire of the Hungarians for the return of their lost provinces remains.

Germany is now a neighbour of Hungary, and ol all her neighbours the most formidable. The Hungarians have always feared that Germany might decide, not. to annex Hungary, but to turn her into a pseudo-Nazi Slate, a German vassal. This price would, in the opinion of many Hungarians, lie 100 heavy to pay even for German help in the recovery of the old Hungary. The Treaty of Trianon, after the Great War. put the former Hungarian territory of Slovakia and Ruthenia in the new Czecho-Slovakia. with Bohemia and .Moravia. Transylvania went to Rumania, and Croatia and other southern provinces to Yugoslavia. Even Austria-, one of the defeated Powers, was allotted a small slice of Hungary. Altogether Hungary lost t hreeqiui rt ers of her territory and one half of her population. With the break-up of (’zecho-Slovakia the Hungarian minorities there have returned to the b'al herlaml. , Slovakia has, however, become a nominally independent Slate under German protection, and Rulhenia is again incorporated in Hungary.

Italy’s efforts Io compost* the differences betwt'eii Rumania and Hungary as part of her work in organising the Balkans against German or Russian aggression, have again thrown Hungarian revisionist claims into the forefront of European diplomacy. There is reported io be a delensive military alliance between Italy and Hungary Io assure Hungary- of Italy’s support against aggression by either Russia or Germany. Circumstances point to tin* fact that Hitler’s boast a few days ago that Italy was still a (dose ally of Germany is without foundation in fact. Italy is determined Io proven! either a Russian or Gorman encroachment upon what she considers her legitimate domain of the Balkans. Italian official spokesmen have proclaimed Italy’s firm resolve never to let Communism cross the Carpathians.