§ 2. Mr. SITCHasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, when Admiral Horthey's Army entered 1860 Budapest, a number of Socialist leaders were arrested; whether Sir George Clerk issued a protest against these arrests, and whether the men have now been released?
Mr. D. WARDBefore the entry of Admiral Horthey's Army, Sir George Clerk had obtained the most complete guarantees from him, that order would be maintained. On the 16th November, Sir George Clerk telegraphed that order has so far been completely maintained and that the general life of the city was quite normal, but that there had occurred instances of unauthorised arrests and attempted arrests of prominent Socialists and Social Democrats. Against this Sir George Clerk made the strongest possible representations to the Government, who assured him that the incidents were entirely unauthorised acts of individual officers or soldiers. Sir George Clerk demanded the immediate release of those arrested, and declared that, unless he had definite guarantees that there would be no more molestation of political opponents, he would at once leave Budapest. On 19th November Sir George Clerk was able to report that the attitude of the Government in regard to this matter was entirely satisfactory, that individual Opposition leaders had been provided with Hungarian guards when they desired this, and that he now had little fear of political persecution.