17 FEBRUARY 1939, Page 2

Fall of Dr. Imredy Dr. Imredy, the Prime Minister of

Hungary, resigned on Tuesday night, and his Minister of Education, Count Teleki was summoned to a long interview with Admiral ror:hy, the Regent. The fall of Dr. Imredy was not un- expected; yet it came with startling rapidity after the fall M. Stoyadinovich, the Yugoslav Prime Minister; both the men were representatives of a pro-German policy in th_,r respective countries. In recent months Dr. Imredy introduced totalitarian methods, under the guise of " r- forms "; and his anti-semitic policy especially had provoked strong opposition. It is edifying to learn that he resigned on account of his own Jewish ancestry. On the other hand, Germany had prevented him from satisfying Hungarian demands for the seizure of Ruthenia ; while the rupture of diplomatic relations by the Soviet Union was a public humiliation for Hungary. Yet Dr. Imredy's fall' may bring no fundamental change in Hungarian policy. His natural successor is the leader of the Opposition, Count Bethlen: but Germany would take his appointment as an intolerable affront. Without greater support than she can command abroad, Hungary cannot afford to offend the Axis Powers, and Germany's pressure is irresistible ; but the change of Prime Minister shows how unwilling Hungary, like other Central European countries, is to accept German domination in internal and external policy.

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