Papers and Documents relating to the Foreign Relations of Hungary, Volume 2, 1921 (Budapest, 1946)

Documents

1921 5 the Burgenland question. That was some time ago, shortly after the present Government came into office. In view of conflicting rumours, he sent a circular to the Austrian Legations in which he outlined the position of the Austrian Government. This circular explained that the Austrian Government was willing to enter into negotiations with Hungary with Allied mediation. I thereupon asked whether the circular did contain the suggestion, now adopted by the Conference of Ambassadors, to hand over the contested territory to the Allies. Dr. Mayr conceded that such a suggestion was part of the circular. I did not conceal my opinion that these facts would have serious repercussions in Hungary and informed the Chancellor that I was instructed to declare, in view of this turn of events, that the Hungarian Government was no longer in a position to ratify the commercial agreements concluded last December,

1 since an express condition of these was an amicable settlement of the Burgenland question. Chancellor Mayr expressed his regrets that the Hungarian Government drew such conclusions and repeated his willingness to do what he could in order to prevent the deterioration of Austro-Hungarian relations on account of the Burgenland. He had discussed, since our interview of yesterday, the idea of negotiations with several political leaders and he was in a position to inform me that he saw no objection to negotiations between Austria and Hungary with the mediation of an Allied Power, with the object of frontier rectifications. Negotiations concerning the division of common and Crown property might also be started in the immediate future. However, he did not regard it as feasible to include both questions on a single agenda, for the division of property would call for prolonged negotiations, and the Austrian Government could not possibly leave the Burgenland issue unsettled for such a long time. I conceded that the final adjustment of property questions may take years. But the principles to govern the division of property could be agreed upon in much less time, simultaneously with the settlement of the Burgenland question. Chancellor Mayr agreed, but suggested that a time limit must be set for the conclusion of the contemplated negotiations. 1 Cf. Vol. I, Doc. No. 886.