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

Documents

1920 8oi The Ministry for Public Food Supply, taking into consideration the Austrian position outlined in your telegram, informs me that it is prepared to put 300 carloads of flour at Austria's disposal under the following conditions: Since the delay in the conclusion of this transaction has already caused losses to the Hungarian Government, Austria would be required to take over the shipment immediately and to pay a cash security of approximately 47 [paper ] crowns per kilogram at once. The agreement would be concluded on the basis of the Austrian proposals and by taking into consideration the preliminary agreements of October 26th and November nth, to the extent that they are not affected by the latest Austrian proposals. Should the barter arrangement not be carried out by Austria, we should like to have enforceable commercial guarantees for the payment of liquidated damages. It would be desirable that an authorized representative of the Austrian Office of Public Food Supply come at once to Budapest to conclude the arrangement. In any event, we should like to have the reply of the Austrian Government within 24 hours. For your own information, I should like to add that we are negotiating for the sale of this flour either for gold or coal compensation under very favourable conditions. For that reason, the immediate payment of the cash guarantee is a very important condition. No. 842. 40.829/5. The Representative of the Hungarian Government in Paris, Mr. Praznovszky, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Count Emeric Csáky. [TRANSLATION] Code telegram No. 502. PARIS, December 3, 1920. The French diplomatic messenger arrived only last Monday with your instructions No. 7180,/pol.

1 I found out meanwhile that the instrument of ratification should be deposited with the French Foreign Office and not with the Conference of Ambassadors. I shall modify accordingly the text of the note to be sent 1 Not printed. Cf. the Minister's code telegram No. 535 of November 19, 1920, to Mr. Praznovszky, supra, Doc. No. 812. 51