Papers and Documents relating to the Foreign Relations of Hungary, Volume 1, 1919–1920 (Budapest, 1939)
Documents
1920 179 In the course of our conversation Count Sforza raised first the question of Fiume. He stated repeatedly that in his opinion it would be most advantageous for Hungary if Fiume should come under Italian sovereignty, since in that event, Italy would endeavour to assure the greatest possible satisfaction for Hungarian economic interests in the port of Fiume. In discussing the question of Western Hungary, he emphatically protested against the accusation that Italy has taken a position in favour of the detachment of these territories from Hungary. He said the record of the Peace Conference will show conclusively that Italy, quite to the contrary, has taken an unequivocal position against detachment. 1 Count Sforza then expressed some concern that although there are no conflicts of interest between Hungary and Italy, democratic public opinion in Italy may be adversely affected by the choice of the ruling sovereign in Hungary. In reply, I said that while I had no instructions on this question from my Government, in my personal opinion, I did not see why the personality of the sovereign of Hungary should affect Italo-Hungarian relations. Should the National Assembly decide, on the basis of the principle of legitimism, to retain a member of the Habsburg family on the Hungarian throne, it is evident that the new régime will be very different from the old one, for Hungary will under no circumstances sacrifice her newly won freedom and will pursue an independent Hungarian policy both domestic and foreign. Although I mentioned in my reply both the names of His Majesty King Charles and of his son Otto, Count Sforza made no further objections, a fact which surprised me because in government circles I have found heretofore outspoken opposition to the Habsburgs. No. 155. 1274/pol. The Representative of the Hungarian Government in Rome, Count Nemes, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Count Somssich. [TRANSLATION] Code telegram No. 2. ROME, March 2, 1920. I had the following conversation today with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Count Sforza. 1 Cf. supra, Doc. No. 142. 12*
