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

Documents

166 1920 much more important, they contended, to secure for the Czechs a second railroad line to the Adriatic sea, for Czech commercial traffic must go partly toward the North and partly toward the Adriatic. „For certain reasons, it is for us important", remarked the President, „that this traffic should go primarily toward the Adriatic. For this reason we secured for the Czechs one railroad connection through Austria; it is now necessary to secure another one through Hungary." The conflict concerning Pozsony was continued at another meeting. Vannutelli continued to adhere to his original point of view. The French General Le Rond, in replying to an Italian major, stated that this cannot be argued as a matter of strategic importance because a bridge-head of five kms. has no strategic value. The Italian delegate replied that this may be true if regarded from the point of view of defence; but such abridge-headwould be sufficient to make convenient the destruction of the bridge in case of danger. The French delegate pointed out that drawing the frontier through the middle of the bridge would merely make feasible its simultaneous destruction from both ends. Vannutelli repeated the proposal made at the previous meeting that a neutral railroad station should be created on the right bank. Laroche said (he and Tardieu presided alternately) that this would create even more political complications. Thereupon Vannutelli proposed the internationalization of the whole right bank which would then be placed under the League of Nations. This was rejected after a brief discussion and they decided to neutralize this territory under Czech sovereignty. Thus was born Art. 57 of the peace treaty which forbids the Czechs to erect fortifications on the right bank. No. 143. i26o/pol. The Minister of Hungary in Vienna, Dr. Gratz, to the Chancellor of Austria, Dr. Renner. Z. 282 P. WIEN, am 23 Februar 1920. Die heute erschienene Nummer des „Morgen am Montag" stellt abermals die von Seiten der Ungarischen Gesandtschaft