PLAIN FACTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20233, 17 February 1934, Page 1

PLAIN FACTS.

“Financial News” Tells the Truth About Austria. SUPPORT FOR SOCIALISTS. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received February 17, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, February 16. The “Financial News” says. "The Austrian trouble was not as Government pretends an attempted Bolshevik coup d’etat. The plain fact is that the Schutzbund existed to preserve the democratic constitution and the Heimwehr were formed to fight against the constitution. The Ileimwehr were undoubtedly the aggressors. Death sentences "would not be justice, nor anything but political revenge on prisoners of war. A noticeable feature of the trouble has been the City’s sympathy with the Austrian Socialists and admiration of the -courage with which they accepted the Fascist challenge. We genuinely believe that a Socialist success would produce an improvement in the markets.” The Berlin correspondent of “ The Times ” says that the Nazis have already begun a campaign in Austria against Dr Dollfuss (Chancellor), Prince von Starhemberg (leader of the Fascists) and Major Fey (Minister of Defence). Herr Habicht. Hitler’s commissioner for Austria, broadcasting, deplored the fact that Germans had been killing in Austria at the orders of foreign Powers, who were bent on destroying German unity. Nazism had had no part in the affair, but had stood silently with ordered arms awaiting its hour. “ All Over Except Hangings,” Says Heimwehr Chief. VIENNA, February 16. The guns are silent and Vienna is counting her dead. As far as outward appearances are concerned everything is normal except for the damage done by shells, bullets and fire. Traffic will be fully resumed to-day. The last of the insurgents have abandoned their resistance and yielded arms, or dispersed. Even the Floridsdorf shops are open. The streets are crowded, the trams are running and the troops have been withdrawn. Dr Dollfuss’s amnesty resulted in the surrender of thirty-four machine-guns, a thousand rifles, 40,000 rounds of ammunition and many hand grenades. The last of the rebels have been rounded up at Kagran, while Laagerberg yielded unconditionally. The number of dead and wounded is not yet known. The Government forces employed in the battle were 9000 police, 800 detectives, 8000 auxiliary police, 4000 soldiers and 6000 Republican Guards, outnumbering the Socialists by four to one. “All is over except the hangings,” said a Heimwehr leader, surveying the desolation of the working class areas of Vienna. Throughout the afternoon and evening the Government rushed up motor lorries to places where the Socialists hung out white flags. Each time a lorry stopped, a dozen or so Socialists, with the’Sr hands up, surrendered. The Chancellor, Dr Dollfuss, interviewed, said: “Happily, the response to my offer of an amnesty was general.” The strike orders to the working class remained almost unheeded, which proves that a majority have abandoned Socialism for the Government’s ideas of a new order. The position of workers under the new constitution will be better than formerly. 2300 SOCIALIST PRISONERS. (Received February 17. 12.50 p.m.) VIENNA, February 16. Supposedly on the charge of killing Major Fey, who lives in that quarter, the Socialists are sniping at motor cars from sewer manholes in the Stadpark District, otherwise normality is rapidly being restored. Meanwhile large city factory barracks serve as prisons for the 2300 Socialists captured.

MONEY FOR THE WORKERS. LONDON, February 16. The Transport Workers Union has given £IOOO to Austrian workers and many other unions have organised collections.