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

Appendix III. Parliamentary debates

i982 ting the opening of Hungarian schools and in gradually suppressing those Hungarian schools which still function. All this is done in the name of Western civilization and the lofty Wilsonian principles. Here are some data. The Catholic junior college [Gymnasium] of Eperjes was turned into a Czech school. Slovak students were offered free room, board and tuition ; yet there are now only 140 students, whereas formerly there were some 350. In the Protestant junior college at Eperjes, the use of the Hungarian language was prohibited ; all instruction is now given in Czech. The education of teachers is now everywhere Czech. The high schools at Bártfa and Homonna and the junior college at Nagymihály have been turned into Czech schools. The Business School at Eperjes was altogether suppressed. In the first two classes of the Hungarian junior college at Kassa, instruction is given in Czech only and provisions have been made for the gradual suppression of Hungarian in the whole school

... A Mr. Stepanek, a supervisor of education, declared that in a short time all Slovakia must be Czech . .. At Igló, the Czechs refuse to permit opening of the junior college because of the use of German as the language of instruction. There is a single Hungarian elementary school left in the whole county of Szepes — at Alsószalánka — but there are plans for its suppression also. The same procedure is employed toward other social organizations. Mr. Joseph Birtha : And we should ratify ! Mr. Karafiáth : In the city of Zólyom, posters announced that the use of the Magyar language is forbidden ; the wife of a Hungarian physician was publicly insulted by Czech legionnaires because she spoke Hungarian. The removal of Hungarian streetand shop signs were ordered. Mr. Birtha : This is how minority rights are protected ! Mr. Karafiáth : In Pozsony, 200,000 crowns were expended to change Hungarian into Czech street names ... At Kassa, a Judge Kovalik, invoking section 1 of the Czech Act No. 122 of 1920, which provides that the official language of the Czechoslovak State is Czech, ordered that no other language may be used in the courts, even in private conversations ; otherwise judicial officers and employees will become liable to disciplinary action. Mr. Birtha : And the Hungarians were the oppressors !