BRITISH LABOUR VIEWS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21090, 15 February 1934, Page 9

BRITISH LABOUR VIEWS

SYMPATHY FOR FOREIGN SOCIALISTS RESISTANCE TO FASCISM URGED (.t'.NIIED l'HE>i3 ASSOCIATION— HV IiI.ECTIUC ■i'KLEGRAI'U COI'VIUGUT.) (Received February 14, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, February 14. The Labour party and the Trades Union Congress state that the necessity of defending Austrian independence against Hitlerism was made the excuse for destroying the liberty and parliamentary democracy of the Austrian working class, which is determined not to go down into slavery without a fight. British Labour appeals for subscriptions to aid this determination. The Independent Labour party sent messages of sympathy to the Socialists in Vienna, Paris, and Madrid. asserting that British socialists should resist advances of Fascism.

MINISTER'S REPORT i OFFICIAL STATEMENT HKVIKW OK KVKNTS RUGBY, February !::. Events in Austria arc being closely followed in Britain. Sir ,l<ilin Simon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in the House of Commons, read reports from Sir Walford Selby, the British Minister at Vienna, who had been informed that the sequence of the principal events was as follows: The socialists' headquarters at. Linz were visited yesterday morning by police in search of arms. There was armed resistance and one policeman was shot. Troops then intervened and martial law was declared at Lin/.. The Socialist party then declared a general strike in Vienna. This was answered by the Government with a declaration of martial law. The Town Hall was occupied in the evening by regular troops, and trie ?i/layor and principal officials were confined to their quarters. Sir Walford had also reported that the Municipal Council had been dissolved and the Minister for Social Welfare, Dr. Robert Kerber. had been appointed Federal Commissioner for Vienna. Intermittent street fighting occurred, with some loss of life, the extent of which cannot yet be estimated. The streets were m darkness last night, otherwise essential services were not interfered with. Martial law had also been proclaimed m Carmthia and Slyna, and disturbances appeared to have taken place in the latter province. The rest of Austria was believed to be quiet.