HUNGARY. 



477 



of telegraph stations was 9GO, and the nuin- 

 ( dispatches sent and received was 2,- 

 819,859. 



On March 12th the city of Szogodin was 

 completely inundated by tho river Theiss. It 

 is situated at the confluence of the Theiss and 

 its chief tributary the Maros, lies almost en- 

 tiivly on low alluvial ground, and, with the 

 exception of the suburb Now Szegedin, on tho 

 right bank of the Theiss. In order to protect 

 it from the Theiss, a largo high dike was car- 

 ried along the river, and, in connection with 

 other parties interested, the people had taken 

 measures to protect the rear of the town by 

 carrying several transverse dikes from the 

 higher land and isolated hillocks to the river. 

 The first of these is about twelve miles north 

 of tho town, where the river turns almost at 

 rijjlit angles to the east. This, which might bo 

 called the outwork of the lines of defense, gave 

 way as early as March 4th, tho waters sweep- 

 ing in and flooding the whole space to the 

 second line, which runs from the higher land 

 in the west in a southerly direction, being in- 

 tersected by the embankment of the Alfold 

 Railway, which runs southwest. In the night 

 of the 7th the northern frontier of this second 

 line was broken through, leaving as a last de- 

 tense the southern portion of the Bakto dike 

 and of the railway embankment, on which, 

 therefore, all efforts were concentrated. Be- 

 sides the military dispatched thither to work 

 under the superintendence of the engineers, 

 the population were called upon to give their 

 assistance. In spite of the most heroic efforts, 

 this dike had to be abandoned between one 

 and two in tho morning of the 12th, and be- 

 fore the people could secure places of safety 

 the waters were upon them. Out of 10,000 

 buildings, 8,200 were destroyed, 4,800 being 

 dwelling-houses. The number of persons who 

 lost their lives was estimated as high as 2,000, 

 and even according to the lowest estimate was 

 deplorably large. All available means were 

 employed in the work of saving those in tho 

 town, several thousands being removed by rail- 

 road and distributed among the different vil- 

 lages between Szegedin and Temesvar. Tho 

 event was considered a national disaster, and 

 the Emperor went in person to the afflicted 

 city to cheer by his presence the unfortunate 

 people. All parts of the empire joined in 

 contributing to the relief of the sufferers. The 

 Lower House of the Diet adopted a resolution 

 empowering the Minister of Justice to carry 

 into effect by decrees such extraordinary judi- 

 cial measures as might be rendered necessary 

 by the catastrophe. A motion was also made 

 to send a committee of tho Diet to Szegedin to 

 see what could be done for the unfortunate 

 city. M. Tisza opposed it on the ground that 

 the necessary relief must be provided without 

 delay, and added that tho Government, after 

 examining the recommendations of the scien- 

 tific and practical men who had been called in, 

 would submit proposals for retrieving the dia- 



aster. In tho ministerial programme submit- 

 ted to tho Diet on October 8th, M. Tiazu - 

 that the plans for rebuilding tho town had 

 been made and were under examination, and 

 that the dikes which were to protect it from 

 similar catastrophes would bo completed be- 

 fore winter set in. He also stated that the 

 total sum received in aid of the city amounted 

 to about 2,750,000 florins. 



The foreign relations of the country occupied 

 tho attention of the Diet. The abrogation of 

 Article V. of tho Treaty of Prague (see GKB- 

 MANY) was tho subject of an interpellation on 

 February 16th in the Lower House. Herr 

 Tisza replied that it was more to tho interest 

 of Austria-Hungary to renounce all claims to 

 the realization of that clause than to allow it 

 to be used at a future time as a snare by which 

 other interested Powers might involve the 

 country in an unpleasant position. Germany, 

 the Minister said, never expected any return 

 for the service rendered by her to Austria- 

 Hungary with regard to the occupation of Bos- 

 nia and Herzegovina. On March 1st the Gov- 

 ernment presented to tho Lower House a bill 

 expressive of its assent to the Treaty of Berlin. 

 The discussion began on tho 24th. M. Tisza, 

 in opposing a motion on the part of the oppo- 

 sition to reject the treaty, maintained the view 

 that international treaties concluded by the 

 Crown did not depend for their validity upon 

 the assent of Parliament. The controlling pow- 

 er of Parliament did not begin until the Gov-' 

 ernment submitted estimates for the purpose 

 of carrying out a provision of tho treaty. The 

 bill was finally adopted by a large majority in 

 the Lower House on March 27th, ana in tho 

 Upper House without a debate on the 29th. 



The desire of the Hungarians to Magyarize 

 the different nationalities inhabiting the lands 

 of the Hungarian Crown was again shown by 

 the passage of a bill in May ordering the Ma- 

 gyar language to bo taught in all the non-Ma- 

 gyar primary schools. 



Minister Tisza, upon tho reassembling of the 

 Diet in October, called the attention of the 

 House to tho failure of the crops in many parts 

 of tho country. Ho said tho Government had 

 taken the necessary measures to ascertain the 

 real state of things, and had come to the con- 

 clusion that, in consequence of this failure, it 

 might well bo incumbent upon them in some 

 districts to make a provision either by loans 

 or else by giving work to relieve the distress 

 that might ensue in the course of tho winter 

 and in early spring. In many places tho crops 

 had not yielded the seed necessary for the 

 next year, or else of such inferior quality 

 that it would be dangerous to use it. The 

 Government thought it, therefore, imperative 

 to take measures, in concert with the local 

 authorities, to grant under proper security 

 loans for the purchase of seed. It did not 

 mean to ask now for any grant of money from 

 Parliament for this purpose, chiefly because, 

 according to its opinion, the grant of a sum of 



