Discussion in Hungarian Parliament on Numerus Clausus to Last Another Week

Democratic Leader Indicts Government; Numerus Clausus is Black Ingratitude To Hungarian Jews, He Declares; Charges Government Is Playing Double Game; Stormy Scenes Accompany Debate (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The discussion of the Government bill to modify the numerus clausus law limiting the number of Jewish students in Hungarian universities and colleges will last another week besides the six days of debate which have already been held in the House.

Ten more speakers, representing other factions, will have to be heard on the question, since their parties insist they must make clear to the country their stand on the vexing numerus clausus issue. The surprising thing is that notwithstanding the flow of oratory during which the elements of racial and religious hatred were dominant, the students calmed down and have called off the strike which they announced when parliament took up the Government bill.

Lectures have been resumed in the colleges and universities and, when it was desired, no disturbances occurred.

Stormy scenes were enacted in the House during the indictment of the Hungarian Government by Deputy Pakots, Democrat. “The numerus clausus,” he exclaimed, “is the child of stupidity, reaction and contra-revolution. The Jews lived in Hungary before the Magyars. Hungarian Jews have played a glorious part in the history of the country. It is nonsense to speak of defending the Hungarian race against a Jewish onslaught by imposing restrictions upon the right to learn. The most aristocratic families of Hungarian nobility are the offspring of racial mixtures,” he declared.

“Count Klebelsberg, Minister of Education,” Deputy Pakots continued, “is a German of Tyrol. Count Bethlen, the Prime Minister, is of French origin, the Hungarian race-purifiers are themselves Germans or Slovaks.”

At this point the speaker was interrupted by Prime Minister, Count Bethlen, who took exception to Pakots denunciations. He particularly attacked the statement made by the Democratic leader that the Hungarian Government had displayed the blackest ingratitude toward Hungarian Jews, since it was Hungarian Jews who helped the Government by obtaining a loan for it and thus enabling it to obtain a majority in parliament. “The Jews in Hungary have been repiad for that service by the introduction of the numerus clausus,” Pakots charged.

In concluding his address Deputy Pakots declared that “the more Hungarian Jewry will be persecuted, the more will it win the sympathy of public opinion abroad. The Government,” he said, “is guilty of playing a double game, one abroad and another for home consumption.”

Deputy Gaal, representing the Agrarians, declared he will vote against the Government bill because he believes that the only just thing to do is to abolish the numerus clausus law altogether. “The terror of the young student is a disgrace. I am not a philo-Semite,” he added, “but I will never cast my vote for an injustice, just because it aims at the Jews,” he declared.