13 NOVEMBER 1909, Page 2

A curious situation has been brought about in Hungary by

the action of M. de Justh, the President of the Chamber and leader of the extreme wing of the Independence Party. While M. Kossuth and Count Apponyi were entertaining the moderate section of the party at Budapest, M. de Justh held a rival banquet at Mako, where lie had been addressing his constituents. The result has been to show that the extremists preponderate in the Independence Party, for whereas the guests at the Kossuth-Apponyi supper only numbered ninety- eight, M. de Justh took with him ninety-four to Mako, and some twenty more have telegraphed their support. Until this count took place, the plan of continuing the Coalition Cabinet by a programme which should unite Count Andrassy, Count Apponyi, M. Kossuth, and the leaders of the Clerical People's Party—a plan favoured by Count Aehrenthal- seemed feasible. This, however, presupposed that the extremists were negligible in numbers, and that the Crown would grant certain military concessions to Magyar demands As the Times correspondent points out, both assumptions have been falsified. Further developments point to a serious Parliamentary crisis. After a series of audiences granted by the Emperor to Count Aehrenthal and the Austrian and Hungarian Premiers, it is understood that M. Kossuth and Count Andrassy will be invited to join a concentration Cabinet to oppose M. de Justh and the supporters of a separate Hungarian Bank. But whatever concessions the Crown may offer to the Cabinet, it seems improbable that M. Kossuth or Count Andrassy will consent to oppose the majority of their own party. In this case the collapse of the Coalition cannot be long delayed.