"Patriots" Convicted

For five months many of the most aristocratic names in Hungary have been befouled by political scandal, as princes, bishops and even the chief of police of Budapest have been implicated one by one in a gigantic plot to forge 30 billion French francs and expend them in financing the return by violence of the Habsburg dynasty to Hungary (TIME, Jan. 18 et seq.).

The fervent "patriotic spirit" in which this wholesale counterfeiting was undertaken came strongly to the fore last week as the trial of the counterfeiters drew to a close at Budapest. One of the accused, M. Szortsey, President of the Hungarian National Association, declared passionately:

"There are 100,000 Hungarians who would forge francs today to save Hungary. I myself am ready to throw law and convention overboard if it would help my country. Hungary's position now is so hopeless that only violent methods can help us to rehabilitate ourselves."

Amid acclaim, M. Szortsey was acquitted.

The magistrate, Judge Toereky, then turned to sentence M. Geroe, convicted of serving as the counterfeiters' technical expert. Overcome by emotion, the judge sobbed aloud and buried his head in his hands as M. Geroe cried:

"I stand before you as a beggar. I have lost all for the fatherland. Only my good name is left, but even this I would be willing to sacrifice for the cause of Hungary."

Controlling himself with an effort, Judge Toereky read out M. Geroe's sentence: two years at hard labor and a fine of 2,000,000 kronen ($2,800).

When the convicted ringleaders, Chief of Police Emmerich von Nadossy of Budapest and Prince Ludwig Windisch-Graetz, stood up for sentence the courtroom became a pandemonium of sobs, groans and cries. Momentarily the representatives of the Bank of France, the civil plaintiff, experienced a qualm lest their instant lynching impended. Then Chief von Nadossy spoke:

"I beg the Court to place the entire blame upon my shoulders. I beg for the acquittal of the men who obeyed my orders, seeing in me their protector in a great service to the fatherland. . . ."

Prince Ludwig Windisch-Graetz interrupted: "No! I implore the Court to hold only me responsible! Thank God there will always be Hungarians willing to do even more for our country than forge a few thousand French francs!"

With eyes swollen and tongue faltering, the judge read out their sentences: each to be imprisoned for four years, each to pay a 10,000,000 kronen ($14,000) fine, each to be "ineligible to hold public office for three years."