ANARCHY IN AUSTRIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 167, 18 July 1927, Page 5

ANARCHY IN AUSTRIA.

RIOTING BY THE MOB.

BOLSHEVIK ELEMENT. TALK. WITH MR. ICXAZ FRIEDMAN. ''There are so many different factors that it is very difficult to say with certainty what has been the actual cause of this unfortunate rioting in Vienna," Mr. Ignaz Friedman, the noted Polish pianist, said this morning. Mr. Friedman was in Vienna shortly before he came out here. "Different political movements have caused trouble from time to time in Austria."' he said, "but Austria desires to 1 e left alone and merely wants to be independent. That is the idea of the Austrian people. Then there is this Pan-German movement that is trying to make Austria part of Germany. Again, there is a third movement by political parties who are trying to once more join Austria and Hungary.

"Til Austria there is a leaning towards Socialism and a slight tendency towards Bolshevism. The rich and middle-class people have been ruined since the war and it is the workers that have the power. It is among the workers, of course, that the Bolshevistic element is strongest. That element is mostly found in Vienna and there is little Communism or Bolshevism outside the capital/' said Mr. Friedman.

"I don't think there is a chance of this rioting spreading,"' he continued. "I'lio police control is good. Besides that, there is an army that would quickly sma-h any trouble. Herr Schober, the Chief of Police, whom I know well, is a most capable man and 1 am sure that he will now have the whole trouble well in hand. After the j war there were one or two risings, but they were caused mostly by hunger., Those risings were not against their | own people but against foreigners who l were staying at the good hotels, eating good meals, while the working class had | little or nothing to eat. j "It is a great pity that this trouble i has developed. The Austrian* are mo,tly a charming and fair-minded people. Unfortunately, their political difficulties have developed and are now bigger than ever before. Now the tendency of the working class in Vienna is to—well, attack. Anti-clerical factors in Vienna have also caused a lot of trouble at times." In one part of Austria, said Mr. Friedman. there was a big tendency to "get together"' with Germany, because the people think that she was the strongest country. If the two countries did combine—Mr. Friedman does not think for a moment that they will—they would be the strongest power on the Continent. Such a movement would be a great tragedy for Austria.