Magyar külpolitika, 1930 (11. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)

1930 / 4. szám - How Hungary was doomed

24 HUNGÁRIA LLOYD September 193Q The Rumanian settlement. b. Mr. Tardieu said that he would explain the findiiigs of the Committee in respect of the Rumanian Hungárián boundary in Transylvania. Eteferring to the map submitted he explained Ihat the red line indicated the demands of the Rumanian delegation and the blue line the recommendations of the Committee. There had been long discussious nn the subject of the frontier in question, occupying no less than twelve meetings. He would explain in a Éew words the reasons which had prevailed with the Committee. Had the demands of the Rumanian delegation been accepted without modincation a veiy large number of aliens would have been attributed to both sides. These numbers were halved by the recommendations of the Committee. Ethnologically therefore he thought that the results obtained were satisfactory. 11 has alsó been thought reasonable to keep within Rumanian territory a main line of comraunication running from Northeast to Southwest, from Szatmárnémeti to Nagyvárad while a parallel line connecting Szeged and Debrecen was lelt in Hungary. Mr. Lansing asked where the propér ethnic line would he Mr. Tardieu said that the population was very mixed ami that the blue line represented an equitable compromise. A truer line might perhaps in somé cases be 20 Kilometres East but on the whole. as he had explained, \e thought the line would be satisfactory. Mr. Lansing asked why a more accurate line could not be followed. Mr. Tardieu explained that it would cut. the railway line and suppress continuous communication. Mr. Lansing asked if any where West of the line there could be found a preponderant Rumanian population. Mr. Tardieu said that this might occur in certain isolated places. In reply to further questions Mr. Tardieu said that somé 600.000 Hungarians "would remaiii under Rumanian rule while somé 25.000 Rumanians woidd irmain within Hungary. Mr. Lansing expressed, the view that this distribution did not appear very just. In every case ti"' decision seemed to have beenkfiven againsl Hungary. Mr. Tardieu said that any other adjustment would have been áll in favour of the Hungarians and correspondingly to the detrimewi of the Rumanians. The whole questions had been discussed witli the very greatest care, the solution had been adopted unanimously and represented, he thought, the best that could be done in very different circumstances. In such places where the Committee had thought it possible for new lines of 'communication to be built they adhered more strictly to ethnographical considerations but on the main part of the frontier by reason of the mountaineous ground it was impossible to substitute new lines for those already existing. By reason of the way in which the Hungarians were grouped in Transylvania it was absolutely impossible to avoid attributing large numbers of them to the fnture Rumanian state. Mr. Lansing said that he appreciated the efforts of the committee to make an equitalde dis| tribution. After further consideration he withdrew his eriticism and made no objection to the recomni! adal ion: ol' the committee. Mr. Balfour alsó stated that he raised no objection. // /eas not possible far the ('unm ii la go over in detail the whole work of the Committee. As láng as the Council was satisfied thai the Committee had done the almást to /ind an equitáble solution In- felt Ihat nothmg could he done to improve the resohnHon Unless there had hrrin disugrrriurul within the | committee. Báron Sonnino alsó expressed his agreement. (No other objection being raised to th" fjmdiBg I of the committee the frontier line between Rumania ! and Hungary as proposed l)y t(he committee from the former frontier of Russia at Khotin to the point of contact with the Danube was accepted.) The Yugoslavian settlement. c. Mr. Tardieu said that the Eastern frontier of Hungary had now been determined. There remained the 'Southern frontier between Hungary and Yugoslavia. Referring to the map attached to report No. 2 of the Committee he pointed out that there was a very considerable variation between the demands of the Yugoslavs and the recommendation of the Committee. The Committee had certainly excluded a large number of Slavs from the area to be attributed to Yugoslavia but they were not in sufficient numbers in the Committee's opinion to justify the line elaimed by the Yugoslavs. The Committee had therefore unanimously adopted the blue line from West of Makó to the point of intersection with the former boundary between Austria and Hungary. Mr. Pichon asked if any eriticism of thia line were fortheoming. No eriticism were made and tlic boundary proposed by the committee from the angle West of Makó to the point of intersection with the formt / boundary between Austria and Hungary was accepted. The Austrian question. d. Mr. Sonnino asked whether anything has been done regarding the boundary between Austria. and Hungary. Mr. Pichon said that no committee had been charged with this subject. Mr. Lansing questioned whether it was necessary to make any alteration in this boundary. Mr. Balfour said that it might possihly be necessary to do so as he onderstood Ihat there was a Germán population in Hungary which might wish to jóin Austria. If so it might be desirable to be prepared to deal with this eventuality. Mr. Sonnino pointed aut that up-to-date neither Austria nor Hungary had raised the question. Mr. Balfour said that the question did not greatly interest the Allies unless the fmancial or economic terms were to differ as between Hungary and Austria. In that case somé trouble might arise.