PLACE OF AUSTRIA

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 82, 7 April 1934, Page 15

PLACE OF AUSTRIA

INDEPENDENCE BACKED

THE DOLLFUSS REGIME

The question, of Austria's independence has become the major diplomatic iissue as .1 result'of a proposal emanating, it is authoritatively declared, from Premier Mussolini, . that Britain, Trance, and Italy should make a joint public declaration on the subject, says the "Christian Science Monitor." Many people arc surprised that the Heimwehr victory in the Austrian civil war has aroused apprehension in Rome for Austria's independence. One explanation of Italy's move is that recent events make it improbable that the Dollfuss Government will appeal to the League against alleged German interference in internal affairs of Austria, as it had previously announced its intention of doing. Not only have National Socialists studiouslykept out of fhe fighting, but there is widespread indignation in public opinion in many countries at the way the Austrian Government handled the situation. The Heimwehr, having been proItalian, tho Italian Government, according to this view of the situation, is anxious to help it out of the difficulties wherein tho recent happenings have left it. Moreover, secret negotiations have been actually "going on at Berlin between Vice-Chancellor yon Papen and "unofficial" emissaries from Chancellor Dollfuss. The latter has never wavered in stressing that Austria belongs to the Germanic section of European peoples. There is, therefore, the possibility that Dr. Dollfuss and others may redouble their efforts to come to an agreement with Berlin, rather than to fall under Italian domination. DIFFICULT SITUATION. . The. Italian proposal puts the British Government in a- difficult situation. Under'ordinary circumstances it would have no objection to reiterating its existing commitments as to Austria's independence. But to do so now would undoubtedly be distasteful to the National Labour section of the Government, all of whom, including Prime Minister Mac Donald himself, have personal friends among the Austrian Socialist leaders. As a matter of fact, Austria is already heavily buttressed with guarantees. Not oulyis there the League Covenant, but there is the special protpcol signed when the League first found financial help for Austria in 1922. In that document Britain, Trance, Italy, and Czechoslovakia agreed to "respect the political independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of Austria," and promised, should occasion arise, to appeal either individually or collectively to the League Council "with a view to ensuring the respect of these principles by all nations." In British eyes this is quite enough. There is therefore little prospect of the British Government taking on additional commitments to preserve Austrian independence. The furthest it could go would be to restate its existing obligations. Downing Street feels there is small likelihood of Germany trying to absorb Austria at the present juncture. The policy of Wilhemstrasse is believed to be to try to help Austrian National Socialists to gain power and leave them nominally independent when they have done so—as in Danzig. There is even a growing belief, here- that Europe will not calm down until this has happened. ANXIOUS COUNTKY. Meanwhile Austria's nearest neighbour, Czechoslovakia, is watching the situation with anxious eyes. Recently Dr. Kami! Krofta, acting on behalf of Dr. Benes, who was attending the subsidiary bureau of the Disarmament Conference in London, gave his Government's views to an unusually attentive Parliament. Humours that Italian or Hungarian troops are concentrated upon the Austrian frontiers, Dr. Krofta described as fantastic and untrue. He added,_ however, that without joint intervention, of foreign Powers, he saw little hope of calm in Vienna. Such intervention, ho continued, could not come from any individual State, but from co-operation of all States concerned in guaranteeing Austrian independence, namely, the signatories of tho Geneva protocol of 1022. Otherwise that protocol would be violated, Dr. Krofta declared. Dr. Krofta further disclosed the fact that Dr. Bones had taken advantage of his visit to London and Paris on the disarmament issue to report to thoso countries, regarding the dangerous situation existing in Austria.

Czechoslovakia as a whole is naturally anxious to see some stable goveniment in Austria. There is a strong feeling that the National Socialist ascendancy would wean grave danger to the pence of Central Europe.