WORLD NEWS IN STORY AND PICTURE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1938, Page 29 (Supplement)

WORLD NEWS IN STORY AND PICTURE

THE MINORITIES QUESTION.

World Events Explained.

Unfortunately, even if the question of the minorities in Czechoslovakia (Germans, Hungarians and Poles) is settled jieaeefully, there are other places in Kurope where the same question may be the paiM of grave trouble. These problems have chiefly been caused through j>eace treaties which were laid down by the victors before the heat and anger of war had died away. Now, after 20 years of those still living who were responsible for them, the majority feel that grave injustices have been caused and the seed* sown for disputes which might lead to war. It is difficult to now right these wrongs, however much the principal statesmen of Xtirojie would wish to do so.

Apart from Czechoslovakia, lite (rravest Kuro]>eau minority problem exists in Yugoslavia. which is another artificial State. most of whor-c territory l>efore the (ircat War wa» .Austro-Hungarian. In lltll Servia. How known as Serbia. wa- a comparatively small country which had not long regained its in<icpen<leuce from Turkey. In I!HS the Austrian provinces of Hosnia an<l Herzegovina ai;<l the Hungarian provinces of Croatia and Slovenia, together with the tinv little kingdom of Montenegro. were given to Serbia. For a while things were quiet in Yugoslavia,

as the combination is now called, but the Croats and Slovenes soon began to discover that for many reasons they had been happier under Austroliungarian rule, tinder which they had «i greater measure of freedom in their internal affairs and national habits. In cultural, educational and many other matters the Croats and Slovenes are far ahead of the Serbs, with civilisations dating long before what is now known as Serbia had emerged from iM'nii-barbarity. The Serbs attempted to concentrate the rule of Yu;;o>la\ia in their capital, llelj*ra«le. or lleograd. a> I hey call it. wit 11 Serbs occiijin ing ifll the chief positions in the < !o* eminent of the country. The Croats and Slovenes, with their superior culture and education, naturally resented this, and compared the Serb attempt at centralised government adversely with the measure of freedom allowed them by Aust ro-Htingary. So far all attempt* to placate them have failed, so one need not be surprised

By ARPAD SZIGETVARY.

if we learn that the Croat* and Slovenes rise and demand complete independence or, at least, a large measure of self-government.

There k also the question of minorities in Rumania (Romania). As her reward for service* in tha Great War she was given Transylvania. which was torn from Hungary, and Jtt-Msaral>ia from Rusia. The majority of |>eople in arc Hungarian, and they wish to Imp reunited to Hungary, just as the people of German ra<-e in the South Tyrol wi*h to leave Italy and be reunited to Austria, which, of course, it now Germain'.

It is interesting to note that many of the former Hungarian subjects iu Transylvania are of Saxon, that i*, <;«'iinan, extraction. Their presence tin-re is one of the romancea of history. As a result of her wans against Turkey 011 behalf of Europe, Hungary muttered terrible louse*. When Turkey was finally defeated Hungary found herself without

sufficient manpower to «vcn till tor fields. She therefore invited people from neighbouring countries to come and live in Hungary. They were allowed to retain their own language and national customs, provided they obeyed the law* of the country. The idea suoceeded admirably and neither Hungary nor th» newcomer* including the (Saxon*, broke the agreement. They lived happily together. It ia unfortunate for the peace of the world and the happiness of many peoples that Chechoslovakia, Yugu tilavia, Italy and Poland did not follow the wise example of Hungary. Under the peace treaties the right* of minorities in these countries were to be protected. That looked all right on paper, but did not work out in practice. These countries haye done their best to stamp out the national languages and cultures of these minorities. Protests from them to the. League of Nations were politely received and then ignored, with the result that we are now faced with the alarming situation in Czechoslovakia which, threatens wor I*l peace. There are also the questions of economic nationalism and the creation of miniature new States such u» Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania t>> consider ia their relationship to threat* to paaoe, but that will have to wait*, aa my apace is up.