SUICIDES IN HUNGARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18954, 30 August 1923, Page 7

SUICIDES IN HUNGARY

THE RESULT OF PRIVATION ONE EVERY TWO HOURS. Pitta Association—By Telegraph—Copyright BUDAPEST, August 28. - (Received Aug, 29, at 5.5 p.m.) During the last 48 hours there have been 24 cases of suicide and attempted suicide. With one exception they were due to privation and want.—Reuter. Is Hungary now going to take the place so long occupied by Austria as “the Gen tral European problem?’ 1 asked a London paper recently, Sir William Goode, president of and. British representative on the Austrian section of f the Reparation Commission, who has been in Budapest for some months, spoke very gravely of the state of the country. The financial possition has grown steadily worse, and; the crown at the beginning of June stood at about 28,000 to the £, despite the efforts of the Government to prevent deprecia tion.

Hungary recently appealed to the tveparation Commission to release her from her reparation obligations for a period of 20 years, to enable her to raise foreign loans under the supervision of the Finan cial Commission of the League of Nations, on the lines that are being followed witli conspicuous success in the case of Austria. Britain and Italy strongly supported the proposal, which Sir William Geode urged, was the only way of “averting a financial debacle with 'nevitable repercussions on the neighbouring States and the rest of Europe.’’ The Reparation Commission, when dealing with Austria or Hungary, consisted of Great. Britain, France, Italy, and Jugotal policy, supported the Little Entente. The attitude of the Little Entente towards Hungary is well known, and the Jugo-Slav representative voted against the proposal. Britain and Italy voted for it. France, in pursuance of her established. Continental policy, supported the* Little Entente. That made tne votes enua.l, whereupon the French chairman gave Ills casting vote against the proposal, and in favour of another, which cut out the League of Nations altogether, and stipulated that part of anv loan raised should be devoted to the payment of reparations. .One of the conditions attaching to this 'decision is that Hungary undertakes “to pay with the, utmost regularity the costs of the armies of occupation, to make deliveries of live stock and coal, and to execute promptly and willingly all the provisions of the Treaty other than those containing financed obligation.” All that has a firm, business-like look about it, remarks the New Statesman. But is it good business? We have some reason to doubt the efficacy of the French methods of debt-collecting, and unless Hungary is to be given a better chance than this, we may as well be prepared for trouble.