HUNGARY: 100% King

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night. Since their candidate had ditched them, the only possible future King for Hungary would seem to be "Little Otto." If and when proclaimed he may be expected to take vengeance on Julius Gömbös et al., not to mention Isabella. For comfort the fearful gathering looked to Count Stephen Bethlen de Bethlen, Prime Minister, who is said to have enlisted Signor Benito Mussolini's support for a Hungarian restoration—the new King to marry an Italian princess (TIME, June 2). Although recently rumored a supporter of Otto, Count Bethlen was formerly supposed to be an Albrechtist, and is well known to be a complete opportunist—capable of changing his whole program overnight. What would he say?

The Count chose to deliver an oracle conveyed to the meeting by War Minister Gömbö's: "Never fear! The Government will never permit a foreigner to mount the throne of Hungary."

This meant anything the Prime Minister chooses to make it mean. Little Otto is a "foreigner" only to the extent that he claims to be Emperor of Austria as well as King of Hungary. By renouncing the former claim (and there is no chance that the potent Austrian socialists would stand for a restoration) Otto could easily comply with the Count's condition, ascend the Throne as a 100% Hungarian King.

If he does choose, a way was at least indicated last week. Archduke Rainer Carl, an unimportant, very distant cousin, died in penury in Vienna a few days after Albrecht acclaimed Otto. Wily ex-Empress Zita, Otto's mother, saw in the death a chance to bring all remaining Habsburgs under her son's banner. Magnificently she ordered a royal funeral for the pauper, had him interred next to the bones of Emperor Franz Josef and for the first time in more than a decade Vienna saw the yellow and black flag of the Habsburgs on public view.

*Marie of Rumania once sent her Carol (then Crown prince) around the world to forget a wench. But as soon as he got home he picked her tip again, then forgot her and six years later picked another.