WAR CLOUD PAST

Grey River Argus, 1 August 1934, Page 5

WAR CLOUD PAST

SAYS NEW CHANCELLOR Trial of the Assassins REFUSAL TO DISCLOSE BACKERS. (Aus. & N Z. Cable Assn.) VIENNA. July 30. Before a. special Military Court, Major-General Albert Oberwcger presiding, Otto Planetta, ex-soldier-chauffeur, aged 35, was charged with the murder of Dollfuss, and high treason. Franz Holzweber, ex-soldier-electrician, aged 30, was charged with high treason. Doctor Tutty prosecuted. Doctor Eric Tuchrer defended. A company of Heimwehr occupied the courtyard. A detachment was present in the courtroom. In the crowded dock, police held Planetta’s and llolzweber’s arms. Steel-helmeted soldiers, with fixed bayonets, guarded them, under the command of a lieutenant. The accused were clad in civilian garb. Bootlaces were taken from their boots lest they attempt suicide. One newspaper states that Planetta’s wife, a tall, (good looking woman, is seeking Frau Dollfuss's intervention on behalf of her husband. Dr. Tutty described how eleven motor lorries, headed by’ a private car, drove to the Chancellory on July 25, the car and four lorries entering the courtyard. Ten or eleven men, armed with revolvers, stormed the first floor, shouting Hands up!” Dollfuss’s servant tried to take his master to the State library by a staircase. Two shots were fired at Dolliuss, who was left for twenty minutes before the wounds were bound up. One shot injured his spine, causing spinal paralysis. Neither shot was necessarily fatal. Death was due to brutality in leaving Dollfuss to bleed to death unattended. The terrorists, ' before their departure, threw away pistols and revolvers and a quantity of machine gun ammunition.

Planetta, in the course of his preliminary examination, said: I had not forgotten that Dollfuss ordered my dismissal from the army.

Dr. Tutty, continuing, said that Holzweber led in directing the revolt, which was intended to launch civil war. He disarmed the commander the Chancellory Guard, arrested mem bers of the Cabinet, handed them over to the terrorists, and forced them to enter discussions under threat of shooting. Planetta gave evidence that he fired at Dollfuss but was not aware of his identity. He did not fire purposely. Oberwcger said: You must hava fired a second shot.

Planetta did not answer, shrugged his shoulders, and refused to implicate anyone else. He added that he was given a uniform and ordered on alarm duty on July 22. He was instructed to go to the Si ben stern gash e Drill Hall on July 25, where he learned that high personalities were controlling a projected attack on the Chancellory. He refused to disclose their identity. He was told before leaving the drill hall not to shed blood except in selfdefence. He drove to the Chancellory and shouted: “Follow me,” and rushed up the main staircase, burst a locked door, saw a big man iu a half dark room to whom he shouted, “Hands up!” He continued: “I felt my revolver arm touched up, then saw another man fall on the floor. It was ihe Chancellor. T vainly tried to get a doctor. I hoard Dollfuss say to Fey, who was present, when T re-entered: “I resign in favour of Rintelcn.” Oberwcger asked: What did you want in the Chancellory? Planetta replied: I wanted to arrest the whole Government. Oberwcger; Why? Planetta did not reply Accused’s Claim SHOT DOLLFUSS WITHOUT INTENT! WHO WAS THE MYSTERY MAN? (Received July 31 at 7 p.m.) VIENNA, July 30. At the trial of Nazi rebel leaders to-day, tho courtroom was stirred when Major Fey was called. He said:— (( After I had told Noustadter-Sturmer of Doctor Dollfuss’s death, he still insisted that the Government should offer a free passage to the rebels. I am not aware why this was not fulfilled. Doctor Dollfuss’s last words were: ‘Rintelen shall make peace!’ ” Holzweber (who is accused of treason) gave evidence that a mysterious personality had ordered him to arrest thc Cabinet Ministers in the name of the General President, lie adding, dryly; “This I did.” Holzweber continued: “When wo were imprisoned in the Marokaner Barracks, Police President Skubl promised us freedom if Doctor Dollfuss’s murder was confessed. Planetta confessed, but nobody was released. We did not intend to shoot Doctor Dollfuss, but to negotiate with him. We were shocked when Planetta despairingly confessed that he had unluckily fired at the Chancellor.” The trial was adjourned. Cabinet Decision TO QUESTION HITLER. REBELS GOING TO CAMPS. (Received July 31 at 8 p.m.) VIENNA, July 31. The new Cabinet, at its first meeting. is understood to have decided to *sk Chancellor Hitler flor more detai’s of his phoposal to send Captain Von Papon here as German Ambassadom. Among other Cabinet decisions, Herr Tau'schitz will return to his post ns Austrian Minister at Berlin. The rank and file Nazis who participated in thc raid on the Chancellory will I e confined to concentration camps, and thoir property will bn 'oiifisea’te<l. IlerP Seidel, the Vienna Police President, has been dismissed fon

acting negligently in not preventing the Nazi activities. He is being replaced by Herr Skubl, the new In-spector-General of Police The Cabinet heard with satisfaction that order has now been, completely Tester ed throughout the country. The last attempt of the rebels to rally has collapsed. CABINET LENIENT. (“Times’’ Cable). LONDON, July 31. “The Times’s” Vienna correspondent states: The Austrian Cabinet Council has passed by decree a law enabling the convicted rebels to be sentenced to imprisonment instead ot to death. DOLLFUSS POLICY CONTINUED. LONDON, July 30. The British United Press Vienna correspondent reaffirms that. the Heim weh r leaders demanded the posts of ChanceTior, Defence and Public Security. President Aliklas ruled out Starheniberg for the Chancellorship on the grounds of age, experience and responsibility. The position now is that Schuschnigg controls the Army, Starheniberg the Heim weh r, who hold five portfolios, compared with the Christian Socialists’ seven. The Cabinet early in the morning, stood jointly pledged: “We will continue to co-operate in spirit with Dollfuss,” after which it announced it would not. change the policy. Though the Monarchists welcome Sehuschnigg, it is recognised it will be no step towards restoration, until the big Powers are ready to put pressure on the Tattle Entente to withdraw their opposition. NO DISSENSIONS. LONDON, July 30. “War clouds have passed,” said Chancellor Sehuschnigg, in an exclusive message to the “Star.” “I know there is talk in England of war, but we see no possibility of it now. The Italian troops should soon be I withdrawing from the frontier.” He added: “It is absolutely inaccurate to say Starheniberg and myself are rivals. We have been closely associated for months. Stories of

Cabinet dissension are equally silly.” The concensus of foreign opinion, excepting Germany, is favourable toward the Austrian Cabinet. Diplomatic negotiations are proceeding at Vienna.

The “Standard’s” Vienna correspondent says: A daring attempt was frustrated to rescue Rintelen, who was erroneously twice reported dead. He is in a hospital on the outskirts of the city, to which forty Nazis went with an improvised ambulance in the middle of the night. A vigilant nurse suspected treachery, and telephoned to the police, who arrested the lot. Rintelen is still in a serious condition from self-inflicted wounds. VIENNA, July 30. It is officially denied that there is « move to restore the Hapsburgs.. BRUSSELS, July 30. Nothing is known here of the reported approach to Otto, a member of whose staff recently declared that the Prine c was watching developments. and will return when wanted BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE. RUGBY, July 30. Sir J. Simon, replying to Parliamentary questions on the subject, of German interference with Austrian internal affairs said that in February last, and again recently, he had received from the Austrian Government, a collection of material indicating cons'iflora ble German influence in propagan da against the Austrian Government, ami in the scries of outrages committed on Austrian territory. In acknowledging its receipt he informed the Austrian Minister that the British Government fully recognised the right of Austria to demand there should be no interference witih. her internal affairs from any other quarter. The British Government was continuing to watch the situation carefully, but no action on their part, was called for or was in contemp'liltion. ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR NEW CHANCELLOR. ROME, July 30. Official circles welcome Schusc'h nigg. ami tih e decision to follow the Dollfus.-i policies. CONDEMNATION OF NAZIS. RUGBY, July 30. Lord Hlail thani, Secretary of War, in a speech delivered at the weekend, referred to« the feeling of insecurity and sorrow provoked by the DVdlfuss murder, but he said the fears that the history of 1914 is going to repeat itself were groundless. He .‘laid that t'hie whole civilised world united in condemning the das tardly outrage by the Nazis and no countrv would have the termed ty to challenge the opinion cf the civilised world. REQUIEM MASS AT AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, July 31. St-lemn Mass of Requiem was celebrated in St. Patrick’s Cathedral thia morning for the late Dr. Dollfuss. The Cathedral wa.s crowded with jieople. including consular representatives. Bishop Liston said that the Chancel lors’ assassination was an appalling deed in the sight of God and man. “The world is heavy and distraught with fear but there is also faith, hope, and courage, and these will live again. Unrest will continue as long as the destiny of Christian nations lips in the hands of those not concerned about Christian beliefs and Christian laws. ’ ’