THE HUNGARIAN OPTANTS QUESTION
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—May I be allowed to express my entire agreement with the admirable letter from Sir Robert Gower which appeared in your issue of November 30th ? The attitude of the victorious Powers to the Hungarian Optants Question is one of the greatest scandals in Europe to-day, and is an insult to the cause of international justice.
Four eminent lawyers in the House of Lords, Lords Buck- master, Haldane, Carson and Phillimore stated in unanswer- able terms the legal position, and appealed to the late Govern- ment to fulfil the legal obligations of this country as a member of the Council of the League. Three mixed arbitral tribunals have pronounced that they have jurisdiction in the case, and yet in deference to the members of the Little Entente and their ally France we have not only refrained from performing our statutory duty but have taken the lead in the shameful shuffling by which that duty has been evaded.
It is useless to proclaim our loyalty to the principle of juridical settlement of international disputes as a substitute for war if in our actions we repudiate that principle. The position of the victorious Powers seems to be that we will obey a judgment if it is in our favour and we will shuffle out of it, if it is against us.
The logical consequence of this policy is the maintenance of armaments for the enforcement of injustice.—I am, Sir, &c.,
GRAHAM BOWER.
Studwell Lodge, Droxford, Hants.
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