The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1928. IN CENTRAL EUROPE

Southland Times, Issue 20447, 27 March 1928, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1928. IN CENTRAL EUROPE

Rumania has refused to accept the League of Nations proposal for the settlement of her dispute with Hungary—again an impasse has been reached. The point at issue rises out of the lands held by Hungarians in the territory taken over by Rumania under the peace treaty. It was provided in the treaty that land taken from the Hungarian owners who wished to leave the district should be paid for, and that otherwise the owners should not be penalised in any way. This aspect of the treaty has come in for interpretation as a result of taxation, the effect of which, so the landowners claim, is to penalise them in contravention of the treaty. The Rumanian Government on the other hand argues that the Transylvanian landowners were treated properly at the time the territory was brought under the Rumanian crown, and the taxation issue now involves not exenemy owners but Rumanian subjects who are being put on an equality with the subjects in old Rumania. Hungary's plea to have the dispute referred to the League of Nations arises out of the treaty provision for a tribunal to settle disputes. This tribunal, it is known, favours the Hungarian interpretation, but it has not reported its finding because Rumania by withdrawing her representative made it impossible for the tribunal to function. Rumania argues that this is a domestic trouble, in which neither Hungary nor the League has any voice and in the circumstances the decision of the Rumanian Parliament can be understood. This trouble would be settled with very little trouble if there were less suspicion in Central Europe. It is to be noted that recently suspicions were aroused in connection with a mysterious train, allegedly carrying explosives, this time in Jugo-Slavia, and the inference to be drawn from the cabled announcement is that suspicion rests on Hungary. It is quite obvious that thq nations in Central Europe are prepared to believe that Hungary is secretly preparing for war in an effort to recover her lost territory. If Hungary is plotting for this purpose, Rumania is playing into her hands by making it appear that she fears an investigation by an outside tribunal into circumstances which affect Hungarians who passed under the Rumanian flag at the close of the war. A few months ago a load of machine-guns was discovered on the railways and no owner was disclosed. It was easy to see what destination suspicion proposed for these guns. Something is brewing in Central Europe, and it looks as if the Magyars have a hand in it, but nothing more definite can be said at this stage.