Magyar külpolitika, 1930 (11. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)

1930 / 5. szám - Hungarian Possibilities in Foreign Politics

22 HUNGÁRIA LLOYD October 1930 losses suffered in the Japanese war by renouncing her elaim to the open sea in the Far East. That loss has doubled her longing to get hold — in compensation therefor — of the straights leading to the Medditerranean, the means to which she excepted to find in the division of the Austro-Hungarián Monarchy, situated on his path to these sí raights, the Monarchy of which, since the Agreemenl concluded in 1867, Hungary has been a member, although of nol equál ríghts, Imi wiihin whose frame she had enjoyed safety and home-rule. Simul taneously with the Russian wave nearihg the Kárpát mountains from the East, our public opinion which has got disused of,studying international qüestáons and our rniddle classes which had not only severed all contact with the outcr world, bnt had alsó lost the knowledge of the languages required to understand foreign political movements, have constructed for themselves in their chauvinistic isolation a Hungárián globe. They did nol realize that the other power to which they were tied by constitntional law, possessed such constructiona) t'aults as were not only perpetually trying the strength of the Monarchy bul had alsó rendered her powerless against the Russian wave so near to the line of the Kárpát mountains. They were nol aware and theref ore did nol realize the danger of thai subtle l>nt at the same táme n 11 absorbing force which, in the North in the form of Panslav tendencies and in thé South by the powerful inflnence of the Orthodox Church penetrated the body of the Monarchy. That force was intended to pacify and oompensate the Germán Empire by the allotment of Austria's Germán Provinces in order to be able to annex Bohemia, Hungary and the South-Slav provinces, and to get a foot-hold in Danubian Europe forming the Hinterland of the coveted passes. Who among ns has had an idea that the Governments of Germahy and Russia exchanged N-otes already in 1905 on the subject of a suitable solution in the case of an eventual collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which means that a whole decade before the Greal War they were figuring with the division of the Monarchy of which Hungary in her entirety förmed a member, and whose Hungárián provinces have been claimed by Russia. The Russian claim and programúié may be found in the Memorandum presented to the British Foreign Office on the eve of the battle of Gorlice in Apri] 1915, according to which Russia claimed for herself the Hungárián Plain as Far as Nyíregyháza. ít is almosl impossible to hnagine of whal disastreous consequence il would have been to Hungary, if it had been annexed dismembered and reduced in population as il is now — to the Russian Empire; it' Russia had been able to reach Böhemia by a Slovakian and Servia by a Rumanian corridor, thus uniting her Servian and Czech allies with ir on fetters across Western Hungary, freely admitting her intention to cut off Hungary for ever from tbc Western Nations and Western civilisation. I believe thai il is necessary to know all this m order to be able to appreciáté the historical value of the heroic defence which not only prevented the Russian forces to break thróugh the Kárpál front, but alsó caused their collapse. When a British officer, delegated to the Russian Army, asked a Russian soldier after their breaking through the Kárpát line al Máramaros what he would have to say for himself at the Last Judgenient, the eyes of the Russian soldier lit up and he answered: „I have passed the Kárpáts." Today history already estabHshed the fact that Russia, though having used her utmost force, remained beyond the Kárpál line?, her imtnense power had bled 1o death at Iheir onter rangé where the light of her dreams, pursued by her huge army, had been broken The protégés of .Russia who hoped to be helped By tbc; Powerful Russian Empire to their hooty from the body of Hungary, saw themselves obliged to look out for another patron. Tt would sound sí rangé to state thai we liave found something in fayoiír of the Treaty of Trianon, nevertheless we believe to move within the rangé of reality when we assert that of the powers to which Hungary found herself opposed during the (Ireat War, Russia threatened hér more imminently tlian Francé so much farther off. Another difference between the situation in 1915 and ]92<i wa^that, while Hungary's whole territory was hlocking Russian advance, being in her path, Francé, occupied by her own troubles, only wished to help her friends inherited from Russia, to the possession of the parts of Hungary to be cut off, because Germany and Italy with their more than a hundred millión inhabitants deprived her of the possibility to conquer Danubian Europe for herself. Together with the collapse of the Russian Empire the sole guarantee of bwnership of the new proprietors has alsó disappeared, bocauseFrance had nevet been able — not even in her days of victory — to despatch considerable military forces in order to defeat Hungary or to oceupy the Monarchy. During the period of occupation French communiqués often announced that important military forces were marching towards Hungary which forces, however, have never arrived. One sole Lieutenanl Colon;'! arrived at (he quarters ordered and reserved for the „French Troops" in Budapest. Such troops proniised in the Autumn of 191S by General Bertholet, arc still due al Kolozsvár and il is hard to believe Ihat he could or would exchange the Rumanian garrison for a French one, merely to please the people in Kolozsvár. The French generals in Prague, Bucaresl and Belgrádé could only dispose of Czech, Rumanian and Serbian military Forces and their intervention served the sole purpose of transferring the territories to be detached to the respective governments, the transfer having been effected by representatives of the Allied Powers. In order to be able to retain such territories, wich task exceeded the forces of the above mentioned governments, they saw themselves obliged later on to organize and keep in arms expensive military forces. The greatesl difference between the situation in 1915 and 1920, however, consjsted of the fact thai the Treaty of 'Trianon secured constitntional independence to Hungary. Counl Altiéit Apponyi, who for a great many years has not only been a leading member of the. old Hungárián Independent Party, bnt alsó played a prominenl role in the fight for Hungárián [ndependence, had repeatedly soornfully