ANGRY OPENING SCENE

Chronicle (Levin), 10 November 1949, Page 5

ANGRY OPENING SCENE

rN.Z.P.A,-

-Reuter.

' Austrian Deputies Surrouhd Right-Wing Member

Cowright)

Rieceived Thursday, 9.20 a.m. VIENNA, Nov. 9. Angry deputies surrounded the right-wing League of Independents' member and Communists kept up a ten minute chorus of shouts of- "Fascist Murderers!" at the opening session of the newlyelected Austrian Parliament today. Herr Fritz Stueber, the League of Independen.s' member, had earlier in debate shoute'd: "The .Austrian police treated the Nazis • as badly in. 1945 as the Nazis treated their eoncentration camp .victims." Deputies of all parties immediately stood up yelling: "You are insulting the memory of eoncentration camp victims." The Parliamentary President, 78-year-old Leopold Kunschak, frantically ringing his bell, ran to where the deputies surrounded Herr Stueber and begged them to return to their seats. Herr Stueber later withdrew the offending remark and the League of In'dependents' leader -denied that his party was non-Nazi or pan-German. Loud a-nd prolonged applause greeted Chancellor Leopold Figl's statement that a small Austrian Army was "no longer a. subject for debate." The Chancellor warned the country that, surrounded by States which have permanent armi'es of unusual size, it would be criminal to expose Austria to possible danger. Peace Treaty Demanded. Dr. Figl, announcing the new Coalition Government's programme, demanded that the Allied Powers should conclude a peace treaty which Austria could accept and end the unjust restrictions of Austria's liberty and sovereignty. Austria still had to bear the enormous financial and moral burden of the Four-Power military occupation, he said, and Austrians were bearing this burden only with the greatest* bitterness. The present state of affairs flagranLy contradicted the principles of human justice. Dr. Figl said that as soon as Austria regained her independence "she will be free to enter the United Nations as an equal sovereign member."