The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1945. Austria’s Plight

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23258, 20 July 1945, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1945. Austria’s Plight

chilling picture o! com 1111 on - m Vienna lias been given in Paris In the personal repre-enlalhe n! Dr Kenner, head of the Austrian Provisional Government. This envoy is visiting Paris and London in the hope of interesting Groat Britain and France in th< fate of the Austrian Republic which was founded first in 1911!. Austria is suffering most severely through shortage of the essentials of life, but there is. apparently, no criticism of the Russian attitude towards the political affairs of the country. The Austrians are evidently suffering most because Russia regards all Austrian properly as spoils of war and Dr Renner's representative seems to agree that this is a reasonable, stand. Nevertheless, help is needed if the Republic is to survive and the Renner Administration is turning hopefully to friends in the West. The birth of the ‘‘second Austrian Republic” was announced from Moscow at the end of April with the news of the formation of a Government under Dr Karl Renner. Dr Renner was the first Chancellor of the first Austrian republic, and represented his country at the Peace Conference of Versailles. The old leader of the Social Democrats thus represents the living link between the two republics. On the whole, the composition of his Government was calculated to emphasise the continuity of Austria’s indedependence. Of its 1 !■ members, five are Social Democrats, four Christian Socialists, three Communists and two non-party men. The parties which played a leading part in Austrian politics before the rise of the authoritarian movement reappeared on the stage under their old leaders, 'lite only newcomers were the Communists who played a negligible part in the first Republic but whose influence has grown rapidly in recent years. Whether it had become strong enough to justify the appointment of Franz Homier, the Communist leader, to the Ministry of the Interior has at least been open to doubt. This appointment seemed to have been inspired chiefly by Russian “considerations of security.” But as long as these considerations were not interpreted in such a way that they reduced the Coalition Government to a deceptive cloak for oneparty rule, even this odd feature o( the Government could be defended. Apart, then, from this reservation commentators found no fault with the Renner Administration. There will be complications in the approach of Dr Renner s envoy to Great Britain and France because, neither of these countries has yet recognised the Austrian Provisional Government, and the same diplomatic aloofness is being observed in Washington. The cause of the trouble is that Dr Renner’s Government was established without any prior consultation between Russia and her Western Allies. Die creation of the Government was

attributed by Russian sources to the initiative of the Austrians themselves, but it has been stated by the Economist that this story cannot be accepted at its face value. The Russians in fact had little excuse for unilateral action in Austria. Russia’s initiative, therefore, created a difficult situation which threatend for a time to duplicate awkwardnesses existing in other countries. However, within tl'“ past fortnight it has been announced that an Allied Commission consisting of British. American. Russian and I*tench representatives is to be established in Vienna next month. The policy decided upon in principle provides for the establishment of an administration for joint government; the establishment of Austria as independent from Germany, and an arrangement for free elections as soon as possible. The British, 'American and French Governments, however, are still so adamant in their refusal to recognise Dr Renner that it is believed efforts will be made to find a Provisional Government generally acceptable to the occupying forces. Fortunately for Austria Dr Renner s ■ regime seems to be so moderate and all-inclusive in character that it should he easy to reshuffle it to the satisfaction of all the Allies. That is provided all the Allies approach the question impartially, and will' the sole purpose of giving the Austrian people the chance to help themselves.