WINDOWS OF THE WORLD

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 226, 23 September 1936, Page 16

WINDOWS OF THE WORLD

HUNGARY'S POLITICS.

GROUPS AND ALIGNMENTS. CROSSES OF ALL S<3RTS. BUDAPEST. As the reduction in the size of the 1 Opposition parties sinco the last eleci tion has maSUe their position more or . less figurative, a few groups who would be quite unlikely to win general support have lately filled the Press With their exploits. ° " .. The oldest of these groups, tlje ArrowCross party, are actually represented in Parliament (and, according to the "llagyarsag," have a few followers even in 1 the National Unity party). This party, which takes Hitler as model, is active in gome of the trans-Danubian counties, particularly Telna, which is principally inhabited by the Swabians. The party's symbol is a green shirt, and a recent remark made by Dr. Eckhardt, - leader of the Small Farmers' party, that "green shirts mean green thoughts/', nearly caused him a duel with the party's leader, Count Festetics. The laitest Press report states that Count Festetics has been deposed in favour of Mr. Balog, member of Parliament of Debrecen, and that a "Fuhrer council" of 27 members will in future help to direct the party's policy. The reason for Count Festetics' fall goes back to the split in the party which followed his success to Mr. Mesko. The workmen members, who objected to a leader owning 30,000 acres of land, left the party under the leadership of Count Ficfel Palffv, and now rejoin the party at Count Festetics' departure. " Scythe-Cross." Another group, called the "Scvthe.Cross," which is not represented in Parliament, has been on trial in several counties for» an attempted putsch on May 1. The leaders of this party were accused "of making a death-list of politicians and intellectuals, and of intending to march on Budapest and occupy the .public buildings. They ' admit having formed stormtroops, which, according to their statements, would have operated durinpr the next election and won them overwhelming representation in Parliament. The members are obliged to take an oath of fidelity to their leader, M. Boszormenyi, whom they regard as a second Mussolini or Hitler. This party is also regarded as a National Socialist party, although there is wide divergence of views between Scythe-Cross and Arrow-Cross. The Scythe-Cross does not work with German propaganda, but with promises of 3, better future for the counties suffering from dearth. As the leaders have been sentenced for terms varying from a month to a year, the party may be considered temporarily out of action. • The third group, which, from "FireCross" • became "Fire-Alliance," and then ' "Fire-Line," consists of , front fighters who are dissatisfied with the official front fighters' association. Though the foundation meeting of this new jrroiip was prohibited by the Home Ministry, the movement enjoys the moral support of all parties except the National Unity.party. The leaders of the Fire-Line desire 1 that front fighters shall refrain from all connection with politics, and state serious grievances against the official i front fighters' group. i The Home Minister proposes ; to inves- j tigate the grievances in question, and ' should they be found to be justified, the ' affairs of the official association will-; be put into the hands of a plenipotentiary. '

International Scenes and Affairs >; , % - ;. J THE NEWS fBEHIND NEWS

Copyright—"Chicago Tribune" and "New York News" Services.

I IRELAND'S KILLARNEY.

. NEGLECTED BY IRISH. A PRINCELY GIFT. DUBLIN. There is hardly any place in the world ! so universally known as Killarney. Irish poets have sung its praises in imperish- • able verse. The term "Beauty's home" I has been applied to it, and one enthusiast attributes to it almost divine qualities. "Angels fold their wings and rest 1 in that haven of the west" is the way the author of the famous song on Kil- . larney refers, to it, and those who have i visited it will not deny that there is . much to be said for the poetic extravai gancc. There is no denying the magniflcance of the scenery which .is . found in. that delightful corner of i County Kerry—those majesticmountains, coupled with widespread woodlands, gorgeous glades, and lakes studded with wooded isjands, while all around Irish ' red deer and Japanese deer browse in . luxury and peace. But, alas, Killarney is not appreciated by the Irish people. That is the cry that is now raised, and it seems, unfortunately, to be only too true. The only people who go there are American trippers and one-day excursionists from England and Wales. Irish people take their holidays on cruises to the Mediterranean or go across to France or Germany. But there arc adequate reasons. The fact, is that the whole economy of Killarney is all wrong. Killarney has never been properly developed as a tourist resort to which a family could go and spend a few weeks at a reasonable cost. Hitherto any catering that has been done is for the day tripper— the person who just wants to say he has seen Killarney and then run off to the next place of attraction. The district is so vast, so full of things to interest everybody, that it is not possible to enjoy it in that way. A friend who has just returned from Killarney assures me that it is not weeks but months that would be needed, so endless are the features to be investigated and explored. This is the basis of an agitation which is being started for a better appreciation of Killarney, and if successful it will put Ireland's most famous scenic attraction on an entirely new footing. It is not generally known that within the last few years the Muckross- estate, in which is nil that is most beautiful of Killarney, became the property of the" Free State Government. Thip was due to the generous gift of Mr. Arthur Vincent, wilo became the owner through his wife, the daughter of the late Mr. William Bowers Bourn, of California. The story is that Mr. Bourn purchased the estate as a wedding gift for his daughter. She died some years ago. and Mr. Vincent, with the approval of Mr. Bourn, donated the entire property to the Free State Government for the purpose of a national park, the only condition being that it should be called the Bourn-Vincent National Park, and that a memorial should be erected in it commemorating the late Mrs. Vincent. Now that the estate is the complete property of the Government the point is made that it should be available more, freely for the use of the people. That this was what was in the mind of Mr. Vincent when he made the gift is obvious from his. statement on that occasion. This was his considered idea: "That the young people of this conn-.] trv should take it to themselves; that ] they will eome to Muckross and make ] it their own; that they will climb those j mountains and enjoy them to the ful- « lest. What they will disclose to 4hem \ will astonish the world. I hope it will ( be made a real garden of friendshipyfor there is too much bitterness in this ] country—and thait it will be the greatest j playground in the world." ]