AUSTRIAN DISRUPTION

Northern Advocate, 19 October 1935, Page 9

AUSTRIAN DISRUPTION

UNDERLYING MOTIVES IL DUCE THE INSPIRATION VIRTUALLY AN ITALIAN COLONY. [United Press Association.-By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright .] (Received noon.) LONDON, October 18. qpHE “Sun-Herald” news service says ■ that nipping in the bud of Major Fey’s attempt to strengthen German and weaken the Italian influence in the Australian Cabinet, Mussolini is the real inspiration behind last night’s Austrian coup, which one commentator asserts, practically makes Austria an Italian colony. All key positions are now held by Prince von Starhemberg’s Fascists. The Vienna correspondent of “The Times” reports that the Austrian Cabinet has been reconstructed, and this seems slightly to strengthen the Fascist wing of the Government, which particularly embodies a policy, largely unpopular with the public, of close co-operation with Italy, Some among the Ministers who have been dropped, frequently have been named as willing to bring Austria into the bosom of Nazi Germany. An official communique states that the foreign policy of the Government is unchanged and is directed at the preservation of Austria’s independence. The correspondent adds that negotiations which give Italy a substantial share in the government of the subsidised Austrian-Danubian Steam Ship Company have been concluded. Thesignificance of this is the ownership of large coal mines directly connected by rail with the Danube. NERVOUS TENSION EVICTION OF MAJOR FEY. FIERCE REACTION FEARED. (Received 10 a.m.) VIENNA, October 17. Dressed in full uniform and wearing his decorations, Major Fey was interviewed an hour after his dismissal. He said: “I must admit it is a surprise. Only yesterday 20,000 members of Heimwehr held a demonstration and congratulated me bn the eve of my third anniversary as member of the Cabinet. lam still their leader. Nothing will stop me working for my country and for the Heimwehr, which I practically founded.” A well-informed authority states that the crisis was the result of a conflict between Prince von Starhemberg Major Fey, and the former won. It is expected that Major Fey’s Vienna Fascists will not be permitted to remain a separate organisation. Probably they will be disbanded. The Government tonight is nervous as to how these Fascists will react to the dismissal of their chief. Both the city and the railway are guarded.