A DISCONTENTED PARTNER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3173, 25 August 1917, Page 6

A DISCONTENTED PARTNER

To what extent the stability of tho Germanic Allianco is threatened by the political dissensions which obtain in Hungary is still a somewhat open speculation. Some ovidcnco has been afforded during the last day or two, however, that theso dissensions arc becoming more acute, and threaten to take a form and direction which would bo regarded with extreme disfavour and not a little apprehension in Germany and by the still powerful faction in Austria which unreservedly approves Pan-German aims. The Magyars of Hungary occupy a peculiar place amongst the nationalities of Central Europe, n They are active partners in the crime of tyranny over subject races which had so much to do with tho origin of the war. At tho same time they have a comparatively limited interest in Pan-German schemcs of conquest. If theso schemcs had been carried to a successful conclusion no very illustrious place would have been reserved for the Magyars in a Europe remodelled under German hegemony. It was not a national impulse, but her association with Austria and the leadership of Count Tisza which carricd Hungary into the war. Her position to-day is analagous to that of an individual who has got into bad company, and, finding the consequences unpleasant, is eagerly seeking a way of escape.' In Hungary the desire for peace is stimulated not only by thc_ economic distress and the sense, of defeat which arc more or less in evidence in,all parts of Central Europe, but by a recognition that the intolerable sacrifices and hardships of the war aro being borne in the interests of Germany. It is likely that the peace movement would before now have taken much more formidable shapo . but for tho fact that Magyar domination of other races—a domination maintained by the same brutal methods as are practised by Austria and Germany—is to-day a millstone round Hungary's neck. The Mag-J

yars, il; may easily be believed, are eager for peace, but they have not yet shown themselves ready to take the first effective step towards peace "by inaugurating a policy of democratic reform within their own territories. Nevertheless, succeeding 1 events have borne witness to an increasing demand and desire for peace. When Count Tisza, the faithful henchman of the Pan-Ger-man party, was compelled to retire from his place at the head of the Hungarian Government, the opin"ion was freely expressed that his defeat was merely nominal, and that in retirement he would continue to exercise a scarcely-weakened authority. There is now fairly conclusive evidence that this estimate' of the position was unsound. Political conditions in Hungary are unsettled, as the late change in the Premiership bears witness, but indications are that the anti-German party, headed by Count Karolyi, is likely to gain command of the situation in the near'"future. It is stated that Couxt Esterhazy, who resigned the Premiership a few days ago, favoured a policy of promising autonomy to subject nationalities in the Magyar kingdom. Presumably, he found it impossible to draft a policy which would at once satisfy the subject nationalities and gain the approval of the Magyars. Conflict of racial interests an 3 aims, and in particular the disinclination of the Magyars to resign the overlordship they have hitherto asserted, stands as the grand obstacle to Hungary's escape from her present deplorable situation. This fact is emphasised in an interesting review of existing conditions contributed to his paper recently by the Hungarian correspondent of the Morning Post: The fall of Tisza, he states, was fallowed by the abolition of the political censorship and the restoration in an even greater measure than before the war of freedom of speech and assembly. Women suffragists and Socialists organise frequent marches to the party clubs of Count Tisza and Count Karolyi, "to the former in order to smash the windows, to the' latter to hear Count Karolyi reprimand them for it." Tho Press, too, has found its voice, and speaks out in a fashion which the censorship until recently made impossible.

The gist of all these utterances and demonstrations (tho correspondent observes) may bo embodied in the phrase: "Peaco on tho conditions laid down by the Russian Provisional Government: no annexations, no indemnities, tho right of nations to decide their own destiny/' v;nich is meanl for fiio Poles, the Czechs, for Alsace-Lorraine, for the Finns, for everybody in fact, but it is not meant for tho nationalities of Hungary, the Croats, Southern Slavs, Slovaks, or the Rouinans of Transylvania. Under the phrase "no annexations" the Hungarian Press means the immunity of Hungarian territory, but it never says a word about the Trontino, expresses ,no opinion on the subject of Alsa«*-J.orraine, or tho German colonies; in "act, fTtloes not caro what happens in any other part of tho world as long as the "no annexations" principle is applied at home.

This clearly indicates that while tho desiro for peacc is strong in Hungary tho dominant section of tbo population have yet to faco the conditions which will make peaco possible. That tho peaco movement is in itself genuine, however, does not seem to bo open to doubt. The evidences of a widening breach between Hungary and.Austria and Germany which have been noted in the cablegrams during the last day or two follow naturally upon developments which were plainly' in evidence a couplo of months ago. For instance, in a speech delivered at the end of June, Count Karolyi expressed views which certainly cannot havo been approved in Berlin. He said in part: I refuse lo accept the theory that there is but one patriotism, which holds that one'? country can only be,defended by tho sword, and that a nation can only achiovo greatness by force ot arms. Onr policy, which aims at_ a. bloodless struggle, a struggTe wMcli in. its ultimate aims wishes a durable peace and not peaco negotiations, is much more patriotic. Wo declare that wo mean to have such a peaco as will preclude tho resurrection of militarism and armed Te-, action. We do want to defend our country from aggression and if she is in danger In thp future, hut wo protest most emphatically against being drawn into adventurous undertakings and against the tendency to block our efforts in trying to carry out such principles as would enable 'us to securo permanent peace.

There aro here hardly veiled suggestions that Germany blocks tho way to a permanent peace, and that sho dragged Hungary into the war for her own ends. The speech is not a little important and significant, coming as it does from a political leader who is said to have assured prospects of a sweeping majority in the Hungarian Lower House after the new elections in September or Octobcr. Account must always be taken of the Magyar domination of subject races as an obstacle to the separation of Hungary from the Gcntral Empires, but it seems more than likely that the Hungarian demand for peace will confront _tke enemy Powers with a very serious problem in tho not distant future.