CROWDS RIOT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 59, 11 March 1938, Page 7

CROWDS RIOT.

TROOPS CALLED OUT. Raid On Fatherland Front Offices. HITLER SENDS ENVOY. United Press Association.— Copyright. (Received 10 a.m.) VIENNA, March 10. To-day has been a day of feverish activity in Government circles, officials preparing for the plebiscite and having conferences with the Nazis. Several hundred Kazls late in the afternoon attempted to storm the building containing the Fatherland Front offices. They smashed the door and a number of windows before they were dispersed by the police. Nazi crowds rioted elsewhere, and mounted troops were called out. Over a million "Yes" ballot-papers have already been printed. They read:— "Do you stand for a free and German Austria, an independent Austria, a Christian and united Austria? Freedom in the land and equality for all." Envoy from Hitler. Herr Hitler sent a special envoy, Herr Keppler, who conferred with Dr. S. Inquart, Minister of the Interior, for several hours. He later returned to Berlin.

In the meantime Nazi leaders have sent a protest to the President, Dr. Miklas, stating that they consider the plebiscite is illegal and that they have ordered their followers to abstain from voting. In Government circles it is believed that the President will reply that the decision of the Nazis does not alter the situation.

A message from Graz states that the Nazis are burning in bonfires all Fatherland Front literature and parading the streets shouting, "Down with Schusehnigg. Our Fuehrer is Hitler."

The "Daily Telegraph"' Vienna correspondent says Nazis to-day created pandemonium in the centre of the city in the hope of shaking Dr. Schuschnigg's courage. The Kaerntner Strasse and the neighbourhood of the Opera House were scenes of indescribable disorder. The police to-night closed the whole of the inner city. The Government has decided to take strong measures against outbreaks to-morrow.

"HITLER OUTWITTED." FRENCH AND ITALIAN VIEWS. (Received 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 10. "The Times" Vienna correspondent says Dr. Schuschnigg said: "Threats and attempts at intimidation being made here and there under the cloak of patriotic sentiment cannot be tolerated. They would disturb the peace, for I cannot demand my friends to keep quiet if the other side does not keep exactly to the letter and spirit of what has been agreed upon and made known." The British United Press representative in Rome says that official circles believe that Signor Mussolini advised Dr. Schuschiiigg to "jump the gun" by taking a plebiscite before the Nazis' Anschluss Day on March 27. Signor Mussolini is confident the plebiscite will be overwhelmingly in favour of Dr. Schuschnigg, who will thereafter be in a stronger position to check pro-German activities. Paris newspapers agree that Dr. Schuschnigg outwitted Herr Hitler and also wisely cut out the votes of turbulent youngsters by fixing the age limit at 24.