Levéltári Közlemények, 39. (1968)

Levéltári Közlemények, 39. (1968) 1. - FORRÁSKÖZLÉS - Karsai Elek: Brit diplomáciai iratok az 1921. évi húsvéti királypuccs történetéhez / 105–139. o.

Brit diplomáciai iratok az 1921. évi húsvéti királypuccs történetéhez 125 13 b. London, 1921. április 1. Mr. Cadogan feljegyzése a Károly-puccs ügyében kapott előzetes értesülésekről In his memorandum which was submitted with the File today (and of which, I annex a copy), Col. Strutt refers in two places to having given me certain information. The fact of my not having recorded such information evidently calls for explanation in the present circumstances, and I therefore submit the following statement of facts. About two or three weeks ago, Col. Twiss, of the War Office, telephoned to me to say that Col. Strutt was coming to see him and suggested that I might be interested to hear what he had to say. I went over to the War Office and met Col. Strutt in Col. Twiss's room. Col. Strutt told us that he was just back from a visit to the ex-Emperor Karl at Prangins, and that he had met Count Czernin in Switzerland. He had two principal items of news — (1) that Count Czernin had told him there was to be a „Putsch" in Vienna about the middle of April, the object of which was in no sense monarchical, but which was designed solely to turn out the present Government, who had lost the confidence ot the country. The „putsch" was to be carried out by the Hungarian „White Guard". Col. Strutt told me that Count Czernin had given him no indication as to who were to form the new Government and he agreed with me that the stupidest thing any Austrian could do would be to bring the Hungarian „White Guard" on to the scene in Vienna. He told us (2) that Prince Sixte had told him that he had a message from M. Briand to Karl to the effect that the French would not oppose the iatter's restoration. He did not give any indication that Karl was encouraged to act forthwith on this advice. I left the War Office in company with Col. Strutt and on the way out asked him whether he could say that Karl intended making any move. He said that Karl had told him nothing definite, but that he had gathered that if a move was made in any direction it would be towards Hungary, though he did not give any idea that anything immediate was impending. He was anxious that the greatest possible secrecy should be observed in regard to Prince Sixte's story, but of course agreed that it could not be withheld from the Foreign Office. He asked me to put him into touch with Mr. Lindley. I saw Mr. Lindley in the Foreign Office that afternoon, told him everything that Col. Strutt had told me, and asked him to get hold of Col. Strutt. He said he would get Col. Strutt to lunch the next day, or the day after. I met Mr. Lindley again after he had lunched with Col. Strutt. Mr. Lindley told me that Col. Strutt had given him the story, and that he (Mr. Lindley) had since seen Sir E. Crowe and informed him. It did not occur to me to crossquestion Mr. Lindley as to what exactly he had told Sir E. Crowe, but I suggested to him that it was unnecessary for me to record my interview with Col. Strutt, and he agreed. Yesterday (Thursday) morning, Col. Strutt called on me at the Foreign Office, and told me a good deal more of what appears in the - memorandum, which had been omitted at his previous interview. For instance he told me that he had had a discussion with Karl about routes to be chosen: he told me of the Archduke Max's agitation at the idea of an immediate „coup" and he mentioned for the first time Karl's letter to the King, also the fact that Karl had commended the ex-Empress and their family to his care. This already caused me some surprise and I accepted his suggestion that he should furnish me with a written report as soon as possible. The report goes even further than Col. Strutt's second conversation with me, and such a sentence as „he seemed quite determined to start" throws quite a new light on this bit of history. I did not myself record what Col. Strutt told me at the original interview for the sole reason that I understood Mr. Lindley had already given the information to Sir. E. Crowe. If I had recorded it, it still would not have amounted to the half of what Col. Strutt has now revealed. That Col. Strutt could not be quite frank with us in the first instance is, I think, clear from the note to me enclosing his memorandum (attached), in which he says „I am now of course ready to be asked any questions". A. Cadogan • - April 1. 1921. Három oldalas, gépelt tisztázat, A. Cadogan sajátkezű aláírásával. — PRO FO 371. Hungary (21) 1921 — /. 180 — С