AMID BURSTING SHELLS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20231, 15 February 1934, Page 1

AMID BURSTING SHELLS.

Socialists Defend Homes Against Troops. m LONDON, February 14. “ The siege of the Socialist stronghold at Floridadorf at sunset was a memorable spectacle. Behind me glowed the hills, below whirled the Danube, before me loomed the towering workers’ apartment block, where shells were exploding in the turret-like roofs which harboured nests of ma-chine-guns,” writes the Vienna correspondent of the “ Daily Express.” Socialist outposts are returning the fire from gardens and outhouses near the Danube. I saw two civilians fall, struck by bullets. “ While crossing the bridge, I passed officers’ cars with smashed windcreens. “ The grey lines of troops fell back while pioneers built pontoon bridges over the marshes in order to attack tne Socialists in the rear. The municipal firemen have joined the Socialists, and have converted the heavy steel dust-carts into tanks, equipped with machine-guns. “ Socialists seized the local railway station, where they shot the chief of police dead. Nazis Bide their Time. “ The Nazis continue their strict neutrality. Observers are of opinion that they are biding their time, hoping that the Socialists will be defeated. Then the Dollfuss Government will be so discredited owing to the bloodshed that the Nazi task of assuming power will be made easy.