NAZI REGIME

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 11

NAZI REGIME

-0 Need For Plebescite In Austria CLAIM BY GOEBBELS Great Advances Made In Reich By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received March 23, 8.30 p.m.) Berlin, March 22. Opening the Austrian plebiscite campaign in the Berlin Sportspalast, Dr. Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda, quoted statistics to prove the great advances made in the Reich under the Nazj regime compared with ‘‘Schuschnigg’s Austria.” “The plebiscite is necessary to impress foreign epinion with German unanimity,” he Said. “It may be superfluous to us, but if we did not have it the seekers of truth in Moscow, Paris and London would never tire of saying we overcame Austria by force.” Dr. Goebbels promised that the Austrian workers would soon be at work again in Austria, and would be free from foreign dependence. The strength of the Rome-Berlin axis had been proved by recent events. Germany had also made friends with Poland. A strong Germany ha'd been built up, the Rhineland remilitarised, the Versailles Treaty torn up, and Austria reunited with the Reich, all without provoking war. “Thanks to the political genius of Herr Hitler our worst defeat has been turned into the greatest national victory,” declared Dr. Goebbels. “No wonder democrats in London, Paris, and elsewhere are always lamenting the lack of leaders. Some democratic countries seem to change their leaders like their underwear.”

AUSTRIAN REFUGEES

Question Of Admission To Britain (British Official Wireless.) . . Rugby, March 22. The Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, made an important statement in the House of Commons regarding the admission of Austrian refugees, to the United Kingdom, which question, he said, had received the careful and sympathetic consideration of the Government. — , , . •, There was on tue one hand, he said, a desire to maintain the traditional policy of offering asylum to persons who for political, racial, or religious reasons had had to leave their own country. On the other hand, there were obvious objections—police, economic, and social—to a policy of indiscriminate admission. While, therefore, it was proposed to pursue a policy of offering asylum as far as ’was practicable and steps were under consideration to enable this policy to lie carried out effectively, Sir Samuel Hoare said, he was anxious to avoid creating the impression that the door was open to immigrants of all kinds. The Government was anxious that admission should not be refused to suitable applicants, including persons whose work in the world of science, the arts, business, or industry might be advantageous to the country. But it mu?t be remembered that even in the professions the danger of overcrowding could not be overlooked, while in the spheres of business and industry economic difficulties must be taken into account. No Change Of Law. Regarding Austrians already in the United Kingdom, . applications for naturalisation from‘those who had the qualifications prescribed by Statute would be given most sympathetic consideration. He did not think, however, that the circumstances of the present situation afforded grounds for alteration of the law. In any case, no alteration could be made without consultation with the Dominions. Sir Samuel Hoare further stated that sympathetic consideration would be given to all applications for extensions of stay by Austrians who had already been admitted. When a member asked if it was not necessary to create effective machinery through the League of Nations backed by adequate funds for dealing with the problem of Austrian refugees as a whole. Sir Samuel Hoare said that that raised a much wider question which ought to be addressed to the Foreign Secretary. At the beginning of the public business Captain W. Wedgwood Benn (Labour) asked for leave to introduce a Bill to amend the Aliens and Naturalisation Acts to give the Home Secretary powers regarding the immigration of refugees from Austria for a period of six months. The House, however, clearly felt that the proposed measure would raise more problems than those it aimed to solve, and that the humanitarian and other needs of the present case were met by the Home Secretary’s statement. Leave to introduce the Bill was refused by 210 votes to 142. Adding to his statement, Sir Samuel Hoare said that some organisation might be necessary as regards professional persons, medical .practitioners and so forth. He would consider a suggestion that tlie Government should communicate with the Dominions in that connection.

JEWISH PETITION

Oppression In Austria London, March 22. The Geneva correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that, invoking Articles 62 to 68 of the Treaty of Saint Germain, which provides that “all Austrian nationals shall be equal before the law,” the executive committee of the World Jewish Congress has petitioned the League Council requesting immediate measures to remedy “the present oppression of Jews in Austria.” The League is guarantor of the minority clauses of the Treaty of Saint Germain. The Jewish Telegraph Agency’s Vienna correspondent says that large detachments of Brown Shirts stood on guard to-day in front of the British consulate, where large numbers of Jewish youths were applying for Australian visas. As the Jews came out of the building the Brown Shirts impressed them for street cleaning, saying, “There’s time enough to go.

to Australia. In the meanwhile come along and clean a few streets.”

The Paris correspondent of the British United Press says that, according to reports, Herr Hitler replied to a personal message from the Duke of Windsor regarding Baron Louis de Rothschild, who is under arrest in Vienna. He is a brother of Baron Eugene de Rothschild, who was the Duke of Windsor’s host at Castle Enzesfeld. The Duke of Windsor is reported to have asked Herr Hitler to exercise clemency toward Louis, but to-night’s reports state that he has replied regretting that he is unable to comply with the request.

MONARCHISTS UNDER ARREST

Archduke’s Sons In Cells

London, March 22.

The Vienna correspondent of the “News Chronicle” says that almost the entire directorate of Austria’s monarchist movement occupy cells in the police detention house. Ten of these are aristocrats and share the company of pickpockets and ordinary criminals. Their braces, collar studs and shoe laces have been confiscated, and they sleep on straw mattresses, rising at 5 a.m. and retiring at 7 p.m. They must not smoke, read or write. The sons of the late Archduke Ferdinand, whose assassination precipitated the Great War, namely, the Dukes Maximilian and Ernst von Hohenberg, occupy adjacent cells, accompanied by Prince Karl Fuerstenberg, former Imperial Ambassador at Madrid. Ernst recently smashed a signboard at a German railway office in Vienna. It was alleged to be an accident.

SUICIDES IN VIENNA

Announcement By Police Vienna, March 22. The police officially announce that 94 suicides and 100 attempted suicides tor political reasons occurred between March 12 and March 21.

BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT

Prohibition In Austria London, March 22. The Boy Scouts’ Association learns from Vienna that the Austrian Boy Scouts’ Association has been disbanded and prohibited. The Vienna police demand the surrender of all rilles, pistols and other tirearms by March 25, under threat of _severe punishment. ,