Scandalous Mattresses

Ever since the wild Hungarian horsemen of Queen Maria Theresa first fascinated military attaches with their horsemanship, their braided hair, and filled Europe's armies with imitative pigtails, braided jackets and hussar regiments,* Hungary's soldiers have been famed for their elan, their hardiness. Therefore when it leaked out last week that War Minister Count Charles Csaky had ordered 30,000 horsehair mattresses for his troops the scandal was such that soon the Count was forced by pressure of public opinion to resign. Budapest papers treated the affair not only as a major political scandal but as an insult to the virility of Hungarian troops.

Thirty thousand best quality horsehair mattresses at $25 apiece equals $750,000. Commenting acidly on Count Csaky's irresponsibility and possible corruption in giving a Budapest firm an order of this size without public announcement, the Socialist Opposition organ Nepszava declared:

"For three centuries Hungarian soldiers have managed to defend the great Kingdom of Hungary successfully and still sleep soundly on sacks filled with straw. Horsehair beds are an absurd luxury."

Chosen last week to succeed Count Csaky as Minister of War was Parliamentary Secretary of War Captain Julius Goembos who disapproves utterly of mattresses for soldiers. He is a past president of the patriotic league known as "The Awakening Hungarians."

*Hussar in Hungarian means 20. The first hussars were groups of 20 horsemen which feudal Hungarian landowners were expected to provide in proportion to the size of their estates.