HUNGARIAN POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19550, 1 February 1927, Page 11

HUNGARIAN POLITICS.

COUNTRY'S LOST TERRITORIES FARCICAL ELECTION METHODS. (Received! Jan. 31, 6.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, Jan. 31. The Buda Pest correspondent of the Daily Chronicle reports that remarkable scenes were witnessed at the opening of the new Hungarian Parliament. Tho Hungarian flag was flown at halfmast, aiid the members of both Houses wore black arm-bands. These were signs of mourning for Hungary's lost territories. The members of the Lower House.wero selected by means of an amazing system of franchise. Out of the 246 constituencies 199 voted at an open ballot with freedom, but the vote in tho remaining 47 constituencies in tho towns was largely nullified by tho fact that every nomination 1 paper had to bo signed'by 10 per cent, of the voters. The peasants who voted at the open ballots were afraid to offend their masters, and a gratuity of half a guinea, to bo paid out of taxes, was freely offered to anyone who voted for tho Government candidate. In some cases Opposition candidates we.ro arrested "in error" and imprisoned until the election was over. ■ The new Parliament therefore represents tho medieval nobility. The Vienna correspondent of tho Daily Mail on January 21 reported that Dr. Deutsch, formerly tho Austrian Socialist Minister of War, asserted that a complete military equipment, including powerful artillery for 600,000 troops, was stored in concealed depots throughout Hungary. There was also a modern factory near Lake Balaton, he said, which was producing bombs and poison-gas. The statement caused a sensation in Austria because tho Socialists .there accept Dr. Deutsch's view that Hungary is making plans to recover her lost territory of Burgenland with tho assistance of Italy.