Leopold Vadasz, formerly Minister of Justice in the Tisza Government, died here to-day at the age of sixty-five, after a prolonged illness of nearly a year.
Secretary Vadasz hada very interesting career which led him from the humblest station to one of the highest ranks in the political life of Hungary.
Born of poor, orthodox Jewish parents, he worked his way through as a student of law, acquired a wide reputation as a brilliant lawyer until he was elected into the parliament and finally ascended to the cabinet.
An interesting detail is now being disclosed in connection with his appointment as Minister of Justice. When his candidacy was proposed, Count Tisza, then Prime Minister of Hungary, remarked to Franz-Joseph, Emperor of Austira-Hungary, that Vadasz was a Jew. In reply to this question, Franz-Joseph asked another question. “Is he able,” When the Count replied “exceptionally so”, the old emperor gave his approval to the appointment, saying “then I am not concerned with his religion.”
After the Revolution and the Reigh of White Terror, during which time the perseuction of the Jews in Hungary assumed an acute state, Vadasz completely retired from Hungarian political life. At the beginning of 1924, Prime Minister, Count Bethlen called the former Secretary Vadasz for the purpose of discussing with him the Jewish question in Hungary. Vadasz, however, took a very definite stand on the matter and declared that the Jews in Hungary refused to be considered as second-class citizens.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
