AUSTRIA'S ESCAPE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 603, 7 August 1933, Page 2

AUSTRIA'S ESCAPE

fSj^ZI INFLUENCE HITLER MEETS HIS MATCH IN AUSTRIAN REPUBL1C DICTATOR. ?*!" t t * ".nf DR. DOLLFUSS' COUP. The last few weeks have brought us news, alohgside of the feilding of one World Conferenee and the opening- of another, of jthe details of a. vitial struggle between a new nationalism and an old tradition. The little postwar, enfeebled.and restricted Austria has. heen facing the exaggerated vitality of Nazi Germany and outfacing it. Hitler appears to have met his mateh in the diminutive Dictator of the Austrian Repuhlic, the Chancellor Dr. Dollfuss. Behind this drama lies much political significance, ;says a writer an the Melbourne Age. The facts of the Austrian-Nazi conflict are neither subtle nor difficult to come by. The present phase goes baek to the middle of thie month of March, when the Nazi triumph in Germany swept all opposition away. Immediately reverberation sounded in V.ierina. The Austrdan-Nazi forces mobilised for a further triumph there. During the remainder of the month the organisation of the Brown Shirts in the ilttle republic swelled in a way particularly threatening to the insecurely established Government of Chancellor Dollfuss. Parliament had ceased to be an effective instrument for defending the existing regime. In fact, the sittings had been suspended through hostility to the Cabinet. When summon,ed by the Deputy Speaker, the Rump of Social Demoeratie and Pan-German members were disregarded. The Chancellor made it clear that he proposed for the time being to govern without the Leg.islature until the Constitution could be overhauled and reconstructed. During April and May public disorder and Nazi hostilities increased throughout the whole area. The Government, however, determined upon prompt and vigorous action. All political symbols were prohibited, as was the wearing of the Brown Shirt uniform and the organisation of the Socialist fighting forces. The Heinwehr alone was permitted existence. These two months proved the crucial period. e It was by no means clear that the Cabinet and its armed auxiliary forces could resist the growing tide of Nazi success and pan-German enthusiasm. The German Press itself did not conceal the intention of the Nazi leaders to sweep away the existing Austrian Government and incorporate Australia in the territory of the Reich. Forcesj were accumulated on the Bavarian frontier for this very object. The turning point came in the middle of May. Dr. Frank, the Nazi Minister of Justice, accompanied by other party dignitaries, descended upon V&enna. The real intention of his visit was barely concealed benea.th the pretence of taking part in the Viennese celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Turkisli defeat in 1683. Dr. Frank was met upon his arrival hy the Chief of Police with the curt information that his visit was deemed unfriendly, but that his personal security would be guaranteed provided he observed reasonable political discretion. Then followed an amusing period of police supervision. Dr. Frank forsook the hostile atmosphere of Vienna for the more favourable pan-German a'ir of Austrian Styria. The police followed him. Gradually he was edged nearer and nearer the border until finally he was gone. Since that time disorders have appeared and have been met by Government control. After one or' two minor crises it now appears that Nazidom is to stop short at the Austrian frontier. The Chancellor has saved Hio Himinutive renublic.

The Background. What lies behind this two-month drama? Intemal conquest in Austria itself has consisted of a conflict between the urge to pan-Germanism on the one hand, and genuine feelings of nationalist independence on the other. At the opening of the contest Dollfuss occupied an unenviahle position. As the repr es ePtativ e of the Austrian' Cath'olic Party, he was opposed hy Nazis on the Right and Socialists on the Left. He was equally1 firm with hoth. Promptly lemough the Socialists have preferred to fry in the Catholic frying pan rather than hurn in the Nazi fire. Hitlerite excesses in Germany itself have certainly helped to limdt Nazi expansion. How completely the German movement threatened Austrian nationalism can be realised from an examination of_ Nazi Party organisation. Hitler himself does not recognise any separate Austrian Nazi Party. Austria represents merely a provincial division of the German National Socialist organisation. Hitler is the nominal head of the party in Austria as in Germany, heing represented hy a deputy temporarily in Vienna. Barely two years ago, the Anschluss attracted the support of the suhstantial classes in the Austrian Repuhlic. To-day that position is reversed. The Moderate Centre has opposed Socialism and Nazidom with equal fervour. Much of the success must be attributed to the personality of the Chancellor himself. He is the smallest and mildest of European dictators, not five feet in height, and with the large head and massive brow of the student rather than the man of force. In fact, he is ^neither. His emergence into politics has come through the study of agriculture. He is indeed the offg of a peasant holdmg, and his own hrotners still farm the family h'omestead not far from Vienna. He entered Austrian politics as the Minisr ter of Agriculture without a seat in Parliament, heing selected for his expert knowledge and in no wise pictured as a popular leader. When Chancellor Boroseh was forced from power, President Miklas turned to this hitherto unnoticed agricultural expert, and has stood hy him ever since, through thick and thin. The Only WaY. Dollfuss' piieseht intenfcions have a? yet barely h'een disclosed. At present he cohducts an independent Dictatorial Prelidential Ghvernment iii disregard of Constitution and Legislatnre alike. This he deems the only way of saving democfacy in Austria. r He is busily engaged upon plans for a new

constjtution, the details pf which remain as yet largely unknown. Gertain features which liave been outlined, however, are of marked interest. The Chancellor proposes to recohstruct the Upper House of the Legislature upon a new hasis. Members tare to be selected" as represehtifig' voedtionai. groiipings and professional associationS. The Lower House is to remain as now, elected from normal geographical electorates. There is peculiar significance in this partial adoption of the corporative Staie system or organisation. Austria's southern neighbour, Italy, has been engaged for some time dn evolving a permanent and stable system of government upon the corporative model. Sooner or later Hitler and his assocrates will"probably turn in the same direction. |n these cifcumstances, it is not surprising to find ths ardent defender of democracy compromisihg with the new id'eas. His experiment should he of peculiar interes|;, fpr it forms somet|iing of a itest case' m the laboraiory of political fonns. For the present, however, the chief requirement is stability. Dr. Dollfuss is faced. with the threat of polrticql disorder and'financial disorganisatioii at one and the same time. In these cireumstances theoretical constitutional reform necessarily occupies a subsidiary position. Financial Problem. The financial situation would probably prove insoluble without external assistance. Here we come upon the international aspects of Austria's resistance to German expansion. The Power most vitally concerned is obviously Italy. Mussolini could not but feel disquietude if Hitler's boundaries were cxtended so as to touch his owii northern fron'tiers. It is not difficult to see why Dr. Dollfuss returr.ed from a visit to Rorne reinforced to withstand the Nazi threat. In additicn to the normal desire to maintain a buffer State, Mussolini cannot neglect the prohlems arising from the suhstantial 'German population within the newlygained Italian territory in • the Tyrol. These have never been contented Italian subjects. Nor has their discontent lacked good cause. German rule across the boundary would doubtless stimulate their discontent, and promote a revival of anti-Fascist feeling in the German population. The Austrian Chancellor has therefore received' suhstantial support from hoth Italian Prime Minister and the Vatican. Similar sympathy has heen for.thcoming hotH from France and Great Britain, though in a less obvious manner. Indeed, the path of the French Government has been far from an easy one. Normally their sympathies would h'ave been attached to the Austrian Social'ists faced with the dictatorial high-handedness of this diminuti'/e Napoleon. Having to choose between

assisting| m internall dlsintqgrati'on which could not but( aid German advance, and in suppoii;ing Ihe Catholic Centre and the Chancellor to maintain Austrian independence against Extreme Right and Extreme Left alike, Paris has not hesitated to assist in the •maintenance of an independent Austrian Repuhlic, British support has iargely come from the city of London and the bank, and whilst lack'ing publicity has heen suhstantial. In this central pressure point of Europe there has been proceeding a dramatic, if concealed, conflict of political loyalties. No one can doubt the force and vitality of the revived German movement. The temptation to swing ihto step with th'e big battalions must have heen extremely strong, yet it has been r.esisted. What is the counter force which displays such vitality?' It iis that nationalism and. urge to independence which is so characteristic and in many ways so dangerous an element of current European civilisation. The significance of the recent Austro-German conflict lies precisely in that. It is a spectacular demonstration of the constructive power and fighting force of that nationalism which seems ari inescapahle element of post-war world politics.