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

Documents

1921 that Mr. Tusar should participate but he makes no promises that the latter will be present. II. Publicity: Mr. Benes proposes that a statement should be published both in the Czech and Hungarian Press on the date of the first meeting to the effect that the Ministers of both countries have met to discuss certain questions arising from the Peace Treaty. III. Time: Mr. Benes regrets that owing to the fact that his trip abroad has been prolonged he was unable to keep to the date originally agreed upon.

1 He now proposes March n, 12 and 13. IV. Concerning the programme of negotiations, he proposes to discuss, point by point, the application of the Peace Treaty and the principles guiding such application. V. He suggests that the negotiations should be conducted in the French language in preference to German. VI. Mr. Benes considers the choice of the Danube as the scene of the discussions as too artificial ("trop artificiel"); he himself would prefer Tótmegyer and in return he offers the Hungarian Government the choice of a place anywhere in Hungary for the next meeting. The refusal of his offer would inconvenience him because he has made all preparations for a journey to Slovakia and, on his part, considers it unjustifiable to make the place to be chosen for the meeting a question of prestige. If however the Hungarian Government feels impelled for reasons of prestige to refuse this proposal, he would suggest some smaller town in Moravia or in Austria close to the Hungarian and Czech frontier. He would not like a place to which he would have to travel through Vienna or which lies close to Vienna, because in that case he would be obliged to make an "acte de courtoisie" towards the Austrian Government, which at the present moment he would rather avoid, although he is on friendly terms with the Austrian Government. Count Szapáry will arrive in Budapest on Tuesday.

2 I beg Your Excellency to send me by code telegram your counter-proposals so that I can acquaint Mr. Benes with them.

3 1 February 27 and 28. Cf. supra, Doc. No. 140. 2 March I. 3 Cf. infra, Doc. No. 175-