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

Appendix III. Parliamentary debates

966 whose function will be carried on in two or more states shall be effected by special agreements, we were assured that these provisions apply also to the orphans' funds. No special concessions were made regarding railway communication. The reply admits our right to apply police and health measures to emigrants in transit through Hungary and states that the restrictions imposed on us in the treaty — severe enough in themselves — will not be applied with more rigour than necessary. The hope is expressed that these emigrants will not be submitted to any special vexation in enforcing police and health regulations. With respect to the use of the Pozsony—Nagykanizsa— Fiume railroad line by the Czecho-Slovak state, the arrangement of details is referred to commissions to be established at a later date. These questions are of such a technical nature that they could hardly have been discussed by the Peace Conference; it is hoped that these special commissions will possess enough technical knowledge to see the problems and to understand our position. The same applies to the Danube where we again filed a number of objections. The reply we received is to the effect that the Danube administration as stipulated in the treaty is temporary and the final regulation for the Danube regime will be established when the Danube Commission assembles. I have now about arrived at the end of the deatils and at the same time at the point which, in my opinion, is perhaps the greatest concession and perhaps of the greatest importance. (Hear! Hear!) We called to the attention of the Conference, and submitted elaborate supporting documentation prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, the fact that if they cut up Hungary, not only as a political entity, but if they also destroyed the hydrographic unity of the Central Danube basin, then states there erected would be exposed to serious dangers. The maintenance and development of flood control will be impossible; the irrigation system will disappear and the possibility of increasing shipping facilities and the proper development and exploitation of water power will be impossible. There will be difficulties even in normal operations as shown already in the conflicts which occurred when Bánát was divided between the Serbs and Rumanians. We proposed that an international commission similar to the Danube Commission be established which would control the hydrographie problems of the entire Central Danube basin. This commission would also have power of supervision over the forests at the sources of rivers, with sufficient influence over