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

Documents

1919 35 No. 22. 3366/pol. The Inter-Ministerial Armistice Commission to the Interallied Military Mission in Budapest. [TRANSLATION] Receipt is hereby acknowledged of your note No. F. 19 of September 23 and of the report of Lieutenant-Colonel Romanelli enclosed therein.

1 Concerning the contents of your note, the following is communicated to the Interallied Military Mission: As stated in detail in our official communication of September 21

2, concerning the alleged mistreatment of prisoners, published by the Rumanian Army Command, the Government has taken in the past and continues to take every measure necessary to insure proper treatment for prisoners. Thu for instance, — with reference to that part of Lieutenant-Colonel Romanelli's report which deals with mistreatment of prisoners — it appears from our communication above referred to, that the Government had already taken energetic measures to prevent abuse of authority. In consequence of these measures the regrettable incidents which sporadically occured in the first days following the fall of the communist régime, have, for several weeks, completely disappeared. An inquiry was ordered into the specific complaints in this respect contained in LieutenantColonel Romanelli's report; should any official be found guilty as a result of this inquiry, they will of course be visited with the full rigour of the penalty provided by law. Measures have also been taken by the competent Minister to speed up the examination and hearing of persons detained by the state police. The Government has done everything in its power to remedy overcrowding in the jail of the State police. Its endeavours were frustrated, however (as pointed out in our communication above referred to), by the Rumanian Army Command. The Rumanian Army Command prevented, despite repeated represen1 The correspondence between the Interallied Military Mission and the Inter-Ministerial Armistice Commission referred to cannot be found in the Archives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 8 Not printed. No. io58/I/Fszb/i9i9. BUDAPEST, October 1, 1919. 3*