Papers and Documents relating to the Foreign Relations of Hungary, Volume 1, 1919–1920 (Budapest, 1939)

Appendix III. Parliamentary debates

i975 tunity to address myself specifically to this issue and to call it to the attention of world public opinion. In this process of enlightenment, our progress is very slow indeed, although we are doing our best to inform every one who comes to Hungary. Mr. Meskó : Very good ! They ought to know ! Count Teleki: In my experience, foreigners who visit us, no matter for how short a time, recognize at once the validity of our complaints. But it is a long way from the understanding of facts by a few scattered foreign visitors to convincing the public opinion of the world! The way in which we can prove to the world that we are the standard bearers of civilization in South-eastern Europe is by the further consolidation of internal conditions, the maintenance of our cultural standards, the earnestness of parliamentary procedure and the continued leadership of serious and reliable elements in society. It is regrettable that we must prove this — not because these facts did not exist before, but simply because they are unknown to a world which knows nothing about us . .. To reply concretely to the four questions put to me: 1. I am sorry to say that we have detailed knowledge of the continuation of atrocities committed by the Serbs on territories allotted to Hungary but still occupied by them. We know of the arrests of our officials and the expulsion of Hungarians from Baja. In respect to the latter, I again sent a note only three or four days ago to the Allied missions. In this note I called attention to the provision in the peace treaty which guarantees, even to persons domiciled on the detached territories, not merely the exercise of the right of option within twelve months after the treaty came into force and the retention of their real property, but also ten additional months in which to move to the country for which they have opted and to take with them all their personal property. When the peace conditions were first handed to us, we inquired as to the meaning of this provision and we were informed that chattels necessarily connected with land and indispensable for its cultivation would also be included under the clause protective of real property. Now these rights were guaranteed for Hungarian nationals on the lost territories; yet on the territories which remained under Hungarian sovereignty, everything movable has been taken away! 2. Of course I am prepared to use every means at our disposal to put an end to these depredations; unfortunately, the means at present at Hungary's disposal are weak and ineffective. The only thing we can do is to seek the intervention of the Principal Allied Powers. I am hopeful that — although