Toward a New Central Europe

The preparation of the Covenant.

Along with the rising nationalism of the peoples of the Basin during the past hundred years there has been a rise of such theories that would eliminate and substitute the role of a Hungary as it existed at the turn of the century. Crown Prince Ferdinand and his Cabinet, the "Camarilla" had wanted to pulverize the ethnic elements of the AustroHungarian monarchy so that from the gravel and sand of the peoples and with the cement of his imagined central power a triple monarchy of Austrians, Hungarians and Slavs could be built. His tragic death in 1914 put an end to these plans. Kossuth and Balcescu wrote of a Danubian Confederation and several others followed after them with variations of a federative solution. 11) At the end of World War I, however, those forces won out which had only one desire, the destruction of the Monarchy at all costs -"Detruisez l'Autriche-Hongrie"-

238

even if by that the autonomy and independence of the whole region were destroyed. Indeed, just that occurred.

This article does not attempt to list the growing number of plans for this region, much less to suggest new ones. We do not doubt the usefulness of such theories. But, since the last word in this respect belongs to the nations involved, and since it is hoped that they will be able to use their prerogative to decide for themselves, it seems more timely and useful to take into account those steps which can be taken by the emigrants and with which we can approach the great common goal, a future covenant of the peoples of the Carpathian and Danube Basins.

Such rapid changes have come about in the thinking of mankind and the scientific and technological discoveries dictate such unprecedented tempo that the rate of obsolescence of our political concepts and notions is enormous. Even concepts that were current during World War II are now outdated. Our whole ideological vocabulary has changed. The super-nationalistic drives, heated by racial prejudices, have lost their meaning in this new world and are restricted rather to the so-called under-developed countries. Where are those days in which it was possible to seduce certain peoples of the Basin and of the world at large with false theories of racial superiorty? The German and Slav experiments in this respect brought such terror and bloodshed to this area as to disprove those who promote such unscientific ideas. Who would still believe the theories of Rosenberg; or the stories of Palacky, Safarik and Kollar about the "brotherly humanism of peace-loving Slavs" after all that happened? 12) And who would dare to claim after the October 1956 Hungarian Freedom Fight that the descendants of Kossuth are a people of "aristocratic class rule" and "despotic suppression"? Prof. Seaton-Watson wrote in the London Times: (16 March 1960 "Although Hungarians were often quoted in the past in England as a people of extremists composed of feudal landlords and slaves who also served Hitler,-the facts in 1956 have shown that Hungarians were among the first who, for a short time, destroyed a totalitarian regime, whilst the Czechs were standing applauding loudly with self-satisfaction and malicious joy the brutal subjugation of Hungary by Soviet forces." We all had a chance to learn that among the numbers of any race or nationality there are base and worthless individuals just as there are outstanding personalities. The peoples are merely the soil from which individuals and leaders of outstanding creativity can grow and the only thing we can do is to create more fertile soil out of national cultures so that a greater number of outstanding people may arise. The proportion of these in comparison with the masses, their respect and acceptance into leadership positions is the only positive proof of quality and the only profit to all of mankind. To enter into noble contests with one another in this respect; to revere others' values in place of destroying,

239

liquidating and deporting each other; to work to our utmost for human progress;-this seems to be the only sensible possibility for the securing of our future. Europe's most powerful nations are seeking survival through greater cooperation, eliminating tariffs, and creating common markets. While they are wiping out visa regulations, accepting each other's currency and organizing for their mutual defense, the peoples of the Basin cannot start their new life after liberation with such methods as separation and isolation which already proved detrimental a half century ago. Our regression even so far is catastrophic. Just consider that during the time of Stephen Szechenyi, the Hungarians opened the Iron Gate 13) for the development of the same region which a hundred years later human stupidity and wickedness is trying to lock up from progress by means of an Iron Curtain. The era from Iron Gate to Iron Curtain has come to a close. The time has arrived to open new gates.

Therefore, we suggest that as soon as circumstances allow, the interested nations should without delay send their representatives to conferences by the following Central European commissions:

1.) CER (Central European Railway)
2.) CEW (Central European Waterway)
3.) CEA (Central European Airway) .
4.) CEH (Central European Highway)
5.) CEC (Central European Culture)
6.) CEE (Central European Economy)
7.) CED (Central European Defense)

The purpose of the above commissions is to render urgent proposals for the common administration of the region's railways, waterways, airways, highways, electric power or other natural resources; economic, educational and cultural coordination and defense until the cooperation of the peoples of the Basin arrives at some legal form. 14)

The formation of a legal organization is a job requiring careful preparation and can be done more easily if the above commissions assure smooth operation in the interim. Life does not stop, and the smooth operation of the various means of transportation along with unified upkeep and improvement of the same would aid the return to normal while the population can freely travel wherever it wishes.

None of these purely practical provisions, nor a blueprint for unified economy can be detrimental to a future political agreement, but will probably facilitate its formation. The production and distribution of electricity, natural gas, wood, steel, aluminum and foodstuff can be achieved much more successfully on the basis of synchronized plans than separately.

The peoples of this region will have to face the complicated task of supervising their existing international trade agreements and the

240

resulting advantages and obligations. Without a doubt, it would be easier for them to arbitrate through joint organizations in which they would have equal representation, than they would on their own. Without such an organization, lack of information, jealousy, and foreign interests could shortchange their common interests. Their revaluation and utilization of ties with the East and West could not be achieved without wasteful duplication of efforts if each of the individual peoples attempted to do it alone.

The friendly atmosphere will depend largely on what kind of history text-books will be used in the schools throughout the region. The Committee for Central European Culture has to make suggestions in this respect.

The preservation of internal order demands immediate united action. The handling of the masses of people returning from concentration camps, emigration, deportation and prisons could lead to such a chaos as to impair seriously the healing process of the region. Revenge and retribution could get so far out of hand that the true culprits could easily hide in the jungle of mismanagement and the innocent would suffer in their place. The bringing together of all the law enforcement agencies of this region would be to the peoples' great advantage. It would be the duty of the Central European Defense not only to issue adequate orders but also to enforce them by organizing sufficient military and police forces.

The commissions should be obliged to perform their duties within a month and should hold their meetings for this purpose in the various major cities of the region. The work of these commissions would also serve the purpose of reacquainting the representatives of the various nations with each other's homes. The mayors of the various cities would certainly accept the responsibilities connected with the honor that would make them the hosts of the Commissions.

After making the first proposals, the Commissions would become permanent delegations to utilize the experiences gained by their work. In all probability the region would have to provide for an increased interest in foreign tourism, which hardly can be efficiently managed without CER, CEW and CEA. Not only will the region have to smoothly adapt its general traffic system to the international network; its modern policy will have to make traveling attractive. If this is the case concerning foreign tourists, it is but elementary that free, unhindered traveling should be granted for its own people. Individuals living in the region should be able to travel as they please from Brusztura to Bratislava, from Vinga to Vienna, from Trieste to Trencin and from Csikszereda to Cirkvenica.

The generation that rightly or wrongly saw its future in the creating of new boundaries, in the developing of discord and in mutual jealousy and mistrust, is partly on the way out, or already departed

241

from the political scene. Those who were able to retain some elasticity of thought and flexibility of judgment can hardly do better than offer experiences to the aid of the new generation which, due to its drastically new experiences, is capable of new resolutions and new solutions. And this is necessary, since in the course of conferences by the above, very hastily sketched Commissions, numerous interesting problems will arise and will test the good will, sincerity, solidarity, talent and imagination of the various representatives. We must hope that they will stand up to these trials.

The exchange of currency at every thousand miles would become cumbersome enough to suggest the idea of common currency in the minds of the convening representatives. Churchill once dreamed up a European coin bearing, on one side, the emblem of the individual nation and, on the other, the common emblem of the united participants. Quite a task for numismatists. Furthermore, what an interesting assignment it would be for the planners to design a flag that contains miniatures of all the flags of the Basin and the proper size and colors of the nation in which the flag actually is being displayed, fluttering in the wind blowing from the Carpathians to the Lowlands and from the Adriatic Sea to the mountains... the wind that blows over fences and boundaries regardless of how they are changed by the people below.

It is not at all impossible that in the friendly atmosphere developing at the conferences of the preparatory and permanent Commissions, the thought may occur to replace the senselessly destroyed marble monument by Fadrusz in Bratislava. How many bitter feelings would be allayed by such a gesture. Of course, the original monument can never be reconstructed. A copy would not help. It is altogether questionable whether a statue of Maria Theresa is fitting today on that square. But if we consider that she was not only a queen, but a woman and mother as well, then the insult to her memory would remind us of all the terrible insults endured by the innocent women and mothers of this region. Then, in our imagination, there grows a snow white marble statue, sculptured by the descendants of Fadrusz and dedicated to the memory of the women and mothers who suffered in the Carpathian Basin in our time.

There are unlimited artistic possibilities in the creation of monuments that would help to hang a veil of regret and forgiveness over the bloody memories in the minds of those who, in a cleansed atmosphere are so inclined. Novisad, Zalatna, Nagyenyed are a few of such possible places. The Hungarians would probably gladly replace the statue that was erected through foreign pressure on the top of the Gellert Hill so that it should express the new spirit of solidarity and hope of the recovering, reconciled peoples.

Are all these plans merely a dream? Possibly. Let us not forget, however, that such are the dreams of forty, seventy, or who knows

242

how many millions of people, and history teaches us that it is dangerous to forget the dreams and wishes of millions.

Planning is necessary. Nothing is more natural to the architect than the fact, that the houses representing the fortunes of families started out as a few pieces of paper. We have come to accept these scraps and plans turning into reality and creating satisfaction and happiness for the owners. The experienced architect also accepts the fact that during the construction, changes of his plan may occur without any detrimental effect to the creation as a whole. Indeed, some of the changes are beneficial. It will then be understandable that those outlines suggested for the peaceful and happy future of the Danube region are presented in good faith and in the hope that the reaction will be favorable. It is the hope of the author that there will be a few representatives of each of the interested peoples who will agree with these preliminary plans and will-perhaps in the form of a common declaration-suggest and urge the delegation of those Commissions necessary for a trial period. After all, we have to take a step in some direction from our present stand. No doubt, that it is simpler-in place of the difficult task of creating new federations or permanent political systems of any form-if we give our estranged peoples a relatively brief, perhaps a few years long interim, during which they can experiment with the advantages and the possible difficulties of living and working together. A similar commission for a transition period lasting four or five years was suggested by the Belgian Foreign Minister, Mr. Henry Spaak, for a proposed European political union. Of the two possibilities, one is that this experiment would be a failure. In this case, not even the best organized legal systems could help.

The second possibility, however, is that the peoples would enjoy their freedom to travel in an expanded region, and the realization that they could sell their goods to more customers and enjoy the greater variety of opportunities and a more colorful way of life. They would not wish to exchange these advantages for isolation, envy and strife. The job of our statesmen would become very simple under these circumstances.

The whole problem is, after all, rather simple: the peoples of the region want to live in peace and happiness at long last. If their peaceful progress does not agree with certain political theories, the peoples might still get along. But without the peace and happiness of the region, all political ideologies lose their right to exist.

The peace and happiness of the region must represent the peace and happiness of all the peoples living in it. If even one of them is unhappy, the peace of all of them is endangered. Thus, without reference to historic merits or prerogatives, we have to accept simply as conditio sine qua non that lasting order in the Danube region is

243

inconceivable without the satisfaction of all the peoples scattered through the whole area. Just a glance at the unstable conditions in the Basin since World War I makes it clear that this requirement has been ignored. We hope that these mistakes form the end of a long line of past mistakes and that we have reached the threshold of new initiatives leading toward lasting, undisturbed peace and welfare for all.

1) The word "symbiosis" is borrowed from biology and is used instead of "coexistence" because of the ill ring of the latter.

2) "The Common Roof" by Franyo Tiso (Nemzetor, Nov. 1, 1960, p. 4.)

3) Some more items on the list: Pozsony "kifli"; Viennese steak and fashion; hogs from the Bacska; Transylvanian "fatanyeros" and apple; folk art of Kalotaszeg, Mezokovesd, Sarkoz, Toroczko, Lugos; Szekel cabbage and gulyas; Kukullo, Tokaj, Mecsek and Pannonhalma wines; Kassa ham; Czech glassware: Debrecen Bacon; the high protein wheat of the Tisza and Alfold regions; Szeged paprika; Kesmark linen and worsted; Torda "pogacsa."...

4) Dr. Stan Jonescu: "Danubian Confederation" (Nemzetor" X. 15, 1960).

5) Dr. T. Galvanek: "Letter to the Editor of Nemzetor" (Jan. 1, 1961, p. 6).

6) Alexander Gallus: "History of the Carpathian Basin from the oldest times to the Romans" (Kossuth Publishing Co., Textbooks Series, No. 3).

7) The expression "evolutionary humanism" i8 borrowed from Julian Huxley and is used in the sense as he used it in his "Religion without Revelation."

8) Alexander Gallus, Op. cit.

9) J. Zathureczky: "Transylvanian Christmas" (Nemzetor, 1960. Dec.).

10) In the City Park of Budapest.

11) See more details in "Federalist Aspirations in East Central Europe" by Edmund I. Lazar. (Published in the present volume.)

12) With reference to the nationality problem and its relation to PanSlavism see Francis S. Wagner: "Szechenyi and the nationality problem in the Habsburg empire" (Journal of Central European Affairs, Vol. 2W, No. 3, Oct. 1960).

13) Iron Gate is the name of the narrows along the southern part of the Danube, which was made navigable for larger vessels in the 19th century.

14) The problem of the future reorganization of the economy of the whole region is dealt with in more details in the biannual report of the World Federation of Hungarian Engineers and Architects, 1958-59, 12 R.A. Clericy, Avon, S & M, France.

244

Toward a New Central Europe