Papers and Documents relating to the Foreign Relations of Hungary, Volume 1, 1919–1920 (Budapest, 1939)
Documents
1920 469 that the Chancellor, in a confidential talk with Minister Gratz, suggested a friendly rapprochement with Hungary, thus giving the impression that he proposed a change in his heretofore hostile policy. The Hungarian Government reserves its right to lodge a protest against this conduct on the basis of international law. No. 469. 4615/pol. The Hungarian Chargé d'affaires in Vienna , Mr. Masirevich, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Count Teleki. [TRANSLATION] Code telegram No. 312. VIENNA, July 18, 1920. The Legation learned late last night that Béla Kun left on the evening train with a false passport for Gmünd and Czechoslovakia. I ascertained this morning the correctness of this information and I learned that Kun, accompanied by Eugene Varga, former people's commissar, left with the approval of the Austrian Government, decided upon yesterday afternoon. I also learned that he left with a transport of Russian prisoners of war headed for Stettin. In the Foreign Office, I expressed my astonishment to Minister Ippen that the Austrian Government freed those persons whose extradition has been requested for common law crimes. I told Ippen that this incident is unlikely to have a favourable effect on the policy of rapprochement which Chancellor Renner suggested to Dr. Gratz. (See our code telegram No. 306. 1) Mr. Ippen requested me to inform my Government that the Austrian Government was compelled to free Kun and Varga because the Soviet Government conditioned the repatriation of Austrian prisoners of war upon the liberation of the former Hungarian people's commissars. I informed the German and Polish Legations in Vienna concerning the departure of Kun and Varga, requesting that they 1 Supra, Doc. No. 464.
