AUSTRIA’S STRONG MAN

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22111, 5 June 1937, Page 22

AUSTRIA’S STRONG MAN

* Kurt Schuschnigg— Dictator SUCCESS OF BLOODLESS COUPS OraoK ora on co»»»wo>n)MT.) LONDON, May 5, Dr. Kurt von Schuschnigg, Austrian Chancellor, the man once regarded as a stop-gap, a formalist without much force of character, and one who hat frequently been described as weary of office and due for an early political demise, has established himself as dictator with personal authority comparable to that of Herr Hitler or Signor Mussolini. This he has achieved by a series of coups less sensational than those of other European autocrats, but by bold coups, well-timed, welldirected, and bloodless. On the murder of Dr, Dollfuss two men assumed power—Dr. Schuschnigg and Prince Starhemberg, leader of the Heimwehr, the powerful Fascist Army used by Dr. Dollfuss and the Clericals to overthrow the democratic Republic and smash the workers’ organisations two and a half years ago. The Heimwehr enjoyed heavy subsidies up till 1934 from the pro-German heavy industrial concern, Alpine Montan, the Austrian arms king, Fritz Mandl, and others—who desired to see the power of the trade unions broken —and from Italy—which desired to see Socialist Parliamentary deposition to the Italian rearming of Hungary and Austria silenced. This ceased soon after these objects were achieved through the counter-revolution of February, 1934. Dr. Schuschnigg's government had no interest in subsidising further these fascist bodies. To do so, indeed, would have put an intolerable burden on the State. Instead, Dr. Schuschnigg last spring introduced conscription, putting the army under his personal control to an extent unknown to the head of any democratic government, and established the framework of the Front Militia, into which' all fascist formations were to be absorbed. But Prince Starhemberg refused to agree to such absorption, declaring that the Heimwehr had still a task to fulfil. He meant that they were to be Signor Mussolini’s watch-dogs, in case Dr. Schuschnigg fell too much into the hands of the Nazis after the AustroGerman agreement of July 11. Dr. Schuschnigg, however, preferred to do his own watching, and II Duce failed to provide the hoped-for supplies to maintain the watchdogs. Prince Starhemberg lost interest and devoted himself to nis private affairs. Few in Austria have been allowed to know that Prince Strahemberg has been pre-occupied with matrimonial difficulties. This is the chief reason for his seeming indifference to politics. Cautious Policy The coup giving Dr. Schuschnigg dictatorship was the culmination of his cautious policy and superior tactics. Since he faced the opposition of Prince Starhemberg inside the Cabinet last May and dropped him from the ViceChancellorship he has worked steadily for the disappearance of the Heimwehr. Austria now becomes an automatic State, under a dictatorship of the Catholic forces of the country. Dr. Schuschnigg’s personal power far exceeds that wielded by the first Austrian dictator,. Dr. Dollfuss, and is comparable to that of Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini. Both the Army and the Front Militia are directly responsible to him as Minister for War. He is head of the Fatherland Front, the only political- organisation tolerated. By appointing a youthful Guido Schmidt, aged 34, and his devoted admirer—as his Foreign Minister, over the heads of experienced officials and politicians, he has secured absolute control of foreign policy. As always, he selected an unexpected moment to strike at the Heimwehr. He was to have left Vienna to attend the funeral of General Gombos,

in Budapest, Instead, he summoned the Cabinet and submitted to it a new decree dissolving the various armed formations and absorbing their members into either the new Front Militia or the new conscript Army. It was never expeoted that Prince Starhembprg. who had for months been repeating that the Heimwehr should never be disbanded, would .have issued such a message of surrender as he published to the Heimwehr following - the coup. In it he told his followers to “offer no resistance in this fateful hour’’ to whatever measures the Government might take and to obey the orders of all Government officials. Anyone taking advantage of the natural resentment in the ranks to organise resistance would, he declared, be a traitor.