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

Documents

1921 io73 No. 68. 590/pol. The Representative of the Hungarian Government in Prague, Mr. Tahy, to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Gratz. I beg to submit herewith a French translation of the statement which Dr. Benes made in the Czecho-Slovak Parliament on the occasion of the debate on the ratification of the Treaty of Trianon.

1 The part referring to Hungary, in spite of repeated emphasis on the principle of non-interference, is so peremptory, I might even say dictatorial, chiefly with respect to the Habsburg question and the form of government generally and the encouragement of the efforts of the Left towards a socialist revolution (or, to put it more mildly, the promotion of a social transformation and the establishment of a republic) is so openly expressed that the whole speech gives an impression of the most brutal intervention in Hungary's internal affairs. In the Habsburg question he is not afraid even to designate it as a casus belli. Further, he openly states that Czecho-Slovakia would prefer to see the establishment of a republic in Hungary. "Nous pouvons et devons dire que nous donnerons la préférence à la solution républicaine plutôt qu'à tout autre."

2 Immediately after this sentence he makes the following statement on the subject of rapprochement and friendship, with the possibility of a more or less rapid "help" to be given to the Hungarian people : "Et, selon les événements, il sera alors possible de parler de rapprochement, d'amitié, de collaboration ou, éventuellement, d'aide plus ou moins rapide au peuple magyar." Next follows this sentence which sounds almost ironical, and perhaps is intended to be so: "Mais nous n'avons aucun droit à une immixtion directe dans ses affaires." In this declaration, which is of theoretical value, he only precludes the idea of "immixtion directe". 1 Not printed. 2 This and the following quotations, contained in French in the original report, have not been translated. [TRANSLATION] No. 5/pol. PRAGUE, January 29, 1921.