THE MAGYARS, THE SLOVAKS, AND THE ROUMANIANS. ero THE EDITOR
OF THE "Spromros.1 S,—May I draw the attention of your readers to a fresh ease of political persecution in Hungary ? On August let Mr. Milan Ivanka, Slovak Member of Parliament for Basin, was sentenced to one year's imprisonment and a fine of a thousand crowns for his address to the electorate at the by- election of May, 1907! This is the fourth non-Magyar Deputy (there are only twenty-six in all) who has been sent to prison in the two years since the Coalition Government came into power. Father Juriga, Deputy for Stomfa, is still undergoing a term of two years' imprisonment for two articles against the Magyar Chauvinists. Dr. Srobar is serving a year for his speeches as a candidate for Parliament (speeches in which he merely claimed the fulfilment of the laws of the country); Father Hlinka three and a-half years for his speeches in support of Srobar and for his farewell address to his parishioners. In June Mr. Skycak, another Slovak Deputy, was fined £8 because he did not notify to the police the visit of a Bohemian priest to his house; and in February the immunity of Dr. Blaho, another Slovak Deputy, was suspended for the same reason. On July 30th two Roumanian Deputies, Messrs. Pop and Sucin, were sentenced to a fine or eight days each for forming a political club at Arad with- out obtaining police sanction. Perhaps most incredible of all is the treatment of Dr. Julius Manin, the Roumanian Deputy, who was publicly reprimanded by the Chamber of Advocates in IColozsvar because he stamped his private notepaper with his name and address in. his own language! When Members of Parliament are treated in this way simply because they refuse to be Magyarised, your readers can imagine how their [We take no responsibility for the accuracy of the facts stated by Scotus Viator. We are, however, certain that the statements are made in good faith, and that he is not inspired by any ill-feeling against the Magyars. His desire is to see Hungary prosperous, contented, and strong.—ED. Spectator.]
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