SOCIALISTS’ STAND.

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

SOCIALISTS’ STAND.

Heavy Fighting Continues in Austria. UPWARDS OF 1000 DEAD. LONDON, February 14. Socialist workers holding Vienna's principal gasworks, replying to the Government’s ultimatum to sui *en>, threatened, if the troops fired, that they would blow themselves ana everything else to eternity. Major Fey, Minister of Defence, has ordered his officers to use every means at their disposal to beat down ruthlessly all resistance. Heavy fighting is reported from south of Linz, where the Socialists hold the suburb of Urfahr, on the opposite side of the Danube from the city. They have placed machine-gun posts to command the two.bridges. Troops and auxiliaries are coming from Lower Austria to relieve the gendarmerie at their headquarters at Kapfenberg, where they have been besieged by Socialists since Monday. The Vienna correspondent of “ The Times ” states that the Socialists were driven out during the evening from the St Marx slaughterhouse and retired to the country, where they entrenched. They will be attacked to-morrow. Prince Starhemberg, who has arrived at Steyr, has asked for a reinforcement of a mechanised battery. Dr Seitz is critically ill. He is suffering from a stroke due to strain. The strike has collapsed, and workers are going quietly to their tasks, except where prevented by fighting. Though the Austrian Government is withholding the casualty lists, telephone accounts from Vienna state that between 800 and 1000 men were killed in Tuesday’s fighting. The “ Berliner Tageblatt ” reports that sections of the Fifth Austrian Infantry Regiment deserted to the Socialists. The newspaper says that Austrian radio stations have been silent since two o’clock in the afternoon, but the Bourse was still confident, and the fact that the railways were still running was regarded as a good sign. Holding on Grimly.

In spite of being sprayed by machineguns and bombarded by artillery the Socialists held on grimly in a number of places, notably at Ottakring, Semmering, Favoreten, Hernals and Floridadorf. They are also making some headway in the provinces. It is believed that at least 500 have been killed and thousands wounded.

Fighting broke out on Tuesday afternoon at Tostlingberg, near Linz, where the miners armed themselves to aid the Socialists.

Those arrested in Vienna include Dr Renner (ex-President of Parliament), General Ivoerner (head of the Socialist Defence Corps), Dr Seitz (deposed Socialist Mayor of Vienna), Herr Breitner (ex-financial secretary of the municipality).

A British journalist, in spite of the danger of being shot by both sides, visited Ottakring, where he found men in shabby civilian clothes and dirty, armed with rifles and watching at doorways and windows. They greeted him with handshakes, saying they were glad of an opportunity of explaining the position. They admitted that things were going badly and that they lacked food and ammunition. Heroism of Workers.

The journalist adds: “It is impossible not to admire the heroism of men still facing the Government’s strength, in spite of the realisation that their chances of success are slight.” By midnight the troops, who had lost twenty-seven men, had cleaned up the garden city of Floridadorf. Some of the Socialists escaped through underground passages and cellars and joined their comrades in other suburbs. The majority, however, were manacled and marched to prison, being prodded with bayonets if they tarried. The Socialists, in revenge, similarly treated captured police, who were taken in chains through the streets.

It was officially announced that the Government court martial, which is sitting, would try the first eight offenders who fired on the police, under martial law. Those convicted would be hanged immediately. No unemployment dole will be paid during the week-end. Food Supplies in Danger. Concern is felt over the food supplies as the Socialists hold the bakeries and slaughterhouses and threaten to starve the capital. Lower Austria is almost denuded of troops, creating an opportunity for a dangerous outbreak against the Government, which may face a crisis today if the rebellion in Vienna is not subdued. During the fighting in the Embassy region, women dropped burning coals on the heads of the Heimwehr who were massing in the shelter of a block of flats. The Heimwehr captured one Socialist stronghold in the Quellestrasse with six machine-guns and 100 rifles. It is alleged that Socialists in the provinces fired on troops and police under cover of a white flag. It is denied that part of the Fifth Infantry Regiment deserted, and it is stated that the whole army is loyal. It is officially stated that thirty-seven regulars were killed during last night’s attack on Floridadorf, where Count Schoenburg Hartenstein, State Secretary of Defence, conducted the operations. The city was quiet throughout the night, but fighting is expected at certain points to-day. ESTIMATES VARY. (Received February 15, 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, February 14. Estimates of the Austrian casualties vary considerably, but an official statement says that 123 bodies were last night lying in the Vienna General Hospital. It is believed that at least thirty policemen and soldiers were killed.