BALKAN DECISION

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 54, 31 August 1940, Page 11

BALKAN DECISION

Rumania Loses Large Area

HUNGARY THE GAINER

The Hungarian wireless, which up to now has given the only report of the settlement, makes the nature of the dictate, as Hitler would call it, equally clear. It says that at 3 o'clock this afternoon the decision of Germany and Italy was read in the Belvedere Palace in Vienna in the presence of the Hungarian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and the Rumanian delegates. From the details of the new frontier given by the Hungarian wireless. Hungary is presumably getting a wedge of territory which amounts to almost two-thirds of the historic frontier of Transylvania. The Hungarian broadcast also declared thai i Rumania would have to evacuate this territory within.-fourteen days and I that details of llie evacuation would be laid down by a joint Hungarian J and Rumanian Commission, which is lo start work at once. I

All available members of the Rumanian Crown Council were called together late last night and they conferred up to half-past two this morning. King Carol was also in conference with Dr. Maniu, the leader of the Peasant Party, who is one of the staunchest opponents of any territorial concessions to Hungary. THE SOVIET INFLUENCE. ■ Surprise has been expressed in some quarters that Russia had no part in the Vienna conference, although no doubt her influence was felt. ' The area which Rumania is to cede to Hungary, is said to be about 17,000 square miles and represents more than half of Transylvania. There have been many reports of a joint Italian and German guarantee to | Rumania, but no word of this appears in "the published statement. On the other -hand, there is provision for an exchange of population. Rumanians living in the districts to be ceded to Hungary will automatically • acquire Hungarian nationality, but it is stated that they will- be entitled to ask for a return to Rumanian nationality within six months. Similarly, Rumanian subjects of Hungarian race living in the parts of Transylvania still remaining to Rumania will have the right to •ask for Hungarian nationality. AXIS HYPOCRISY. In announcing the agreement in Berlin, Herr yon Ribbentrop made an outrageously hypocritical broadcast speech. He said that Rumania and Hungary had appealed to Germany and Italy, saying that they wanted the dispute settled peacefully. Germany and Italy could f

LONDON, August 30. In Vienna this afternoon the Foreign Ministers of Hungary and Rumania added their signatures to those of Herr yon Ribbentrop and Count Ciano, the German and Italian Foreign Ministers, to an agreement fixing- a new frontier line between Hungary and Rumania. In the last resort all pretence that it was an independent solution had to be abandoned.

A communique issued in Bucharest this afternoon says that the Rumanian Crown Council decided early today to accept what is politely called the arbitration of the Axis Powers. The communique adds that this decision was taken only after notice had been received from Germany and Italy presenting a final demand.

not turn a deaf ear to this appeal, and had now solved the last territorial problem in the Danube Basin.

The Rumanian Government has made it perfectly clear that it yielded only to an ultimatum by Germany and Italy.

Assurance's are given that all minorities will be able to take their property with them.

AH day long messages have been pouring in from Rumania reflecting the gloom and despondency there. One Rumanian described the agreement as "yet another gigantic Nazi treachery-" Reuters correspondent in Bucharest suggests that a change of Government will be carried out soon, and that the present Government has been 'deceived by wooing favour with the Axis.

It is stated that there is no doubt i that the Note the Rumanian Crown' Council received was an ultimatum,: and an official communique from '. j Bucharest says as much. / ! Whether the Vienna settlement will [ bo any more welcome in Hungary tha?i it is in Rumania remains to be seen, but whatever feeling of disappointment there is that Hungary did not get more, popular sentiment will be delighted with what she has got. A Rome broadcast said that Hungary was renouncing great ambitions and, praised her for acting in. accordance with European necessity. i A BITTER PILL. | Another bitter pill for Hungary is j administered in the form of a new j minority agreement announced in Ber- \ lin. Germany is taking the opportun- ' ity of freeing the German minority in i Hungary from all restrictions. This ! so-called agreement stipulates that the German minority in Hungary must be given all opportunities of developing their Germanic aspirations in Hun-: gary. ■

The Hungarian Government also undertakes not to hinder in any way the expression of-the minority's German Socialist views. Members of the German community must be allowed to organise themselves and .form societies and to be represented proportionately on all self-governing Hungarian bodies. Civil servants of German nationality are to be posted in perman minority districts. Children must have the right to be educated in German minority schools and allowed to use their own language in speech and writing. This latter right also applies to public meetings and German may be used for official purposes where there is a German minority of one-third or more of the population. Members of the minority dre to have the right to communicate freely with Germany and ,to use their German names. They are also to have the right to carry on any occupation they like.