" THE TRAGEDY OF TRIANON "
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—Sir Robert Donald's reply, in your issue for June 80th, to your reviewer's remarks on his book, The Tragedy of Trianon, begs the main question. Sir Robert maintains that the minority question is the main feature of his book. If this were really the case, I for one would not raise any objections, as there is room for improvement all round in the treatment of minorities throughout Central and South Eastern Europe.
The real point about The Tragedy of Trianon is that it is all of a piece with the Treaty-revisionist propaganda of Lord Rothermere—a propaganda which already has put back by twenty years or so the work of conciliation and rapproche- ment in Central and South Eastern Europe.
Given time and the natural pressure of economic facts, Hungary would eventually come back to the Central and South Eastern Comity of Nations. Community of economic interest, and the growth of political reasonableness, would eventually have led to reasonable readjustments of the imperfections of the Treaty of Trianon—that is to say, readjustment by mutual consent on the part of Hungary and her neighbours. As things are, the crude " revisionist2' propaganda in question has raised false hopes in Hungary. and fanned the embers of Magyar nationalism and reaction into flame ; whilst at the same time it has given rise to the , most acute apprehension and suspicion in the Little Entente . States.
The creation of revangisme ,on,the one side and suspicion on the other has naturally smashed-at least, for a long time to come—even the modest machinery of reconciliation which had been set up. This being the case, it goes without saying • that the treatment of minorities—the question upon which Sir Robert is so insistent—has become worse rather than better. Hungary has only her self-styled British friends to thank for this ! Your reviewer is .quite right, - The " revisionists " in this country are laying up a great store of trouble, not only for Hungary and her neighbours,
but for Europe in general.—I am, Sir, &e., J. M. S.
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