Hungarian Students Demonstrate, Parliament Discusses Numerus Clausus

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

While parliament debated the government bill which purports to modify the numerus clausus law, a demonstration of students took place at the Technical Institute, protesting against the change which would in truth bring about no increase in the number of admissible Jewish students.

The students uttered threats that the lectures at the colleges and universities will be boycotted if the bill is promulgated.

A very small number of deputies were present in the house when the discussion on the bill took place. Before the discussion started, a conference was held between Count Klebelsberg, Minister of Education, and Paul Sandor, Jewish deputy. When interviewed by the representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Count Klebelsberg stated that the purpose of the bill is merely to calm the spirits without actually raising the number of Jewish students in the colleges and universities.

During the debate in which Jewish deputies attacked the government and the hypocritical proposal, the question of whether the Jews constitute a race or religion came up again. Deputy Baracs, a Jewish deputy, stated that the main question to be decided is whether the Jews are a religious sect or a race. Since the Hungarian constitution recognizes only religions, the proposed bill is unconstitutional. The purpose of the numerus clausus is to defend Christian students of Latin against the rivalry of Jewish students, he argued.

Count Klebelsberg retorted that it was this proposal that upholds the constitution and emphasizes that the Jews are a religious sect.

The Socialist deputy, Varnai, a Jew, attacked the bill, declaring that the numerus clausus was the offspring of ugly hatred and is a wholesale indictment of Jewry.