The Wanganui Chronicle TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1938. ANSCHLUSS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 86, 12 April 1938, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1938. ANSCHLUSS

PREVIOUSLY prohibited by the provisions of the Peace

Treaties, ansehluss, as the union of Austria and Germany is called, has been brought into being by the exercise of Germany’s might.

The plebiscite which has just been held does not prove cither that the people of Germany nor that the people of Austria desire the union. The results of the plebiscite are so good that they disprove their own worth. The propaganist has become drunk on his own liqueur.

There are valid reasons for some Germans at least considering that the inclusion of Austria within the Reich will not increase its strength, but will, on the contrary, add to its already burdensome economic problems. There may be others who, looking backward, will remember that the German Empire was brought low in a war which had its origins in Austria. Austria is still the ground on which an international conflict may burst into flame. These factors in ansehluss must have been considered by many German voters, but the fact that they found no expression in the plebiscite reveals that the voting was not free and, not being free, was useless as a reflection of public opinion on the issue. Similarly, there has existed in Austria a large-scale opposition to union with Germany on several grounds. These objections include the desire to maintain Austrian nationality, the hope of restoring the Hapsburgs, the wish to maintain the freedom of religious worship untrammeled by Governmental interference in Church management and, most, important of all, the fear of German Nazi terrorism. These objections are infinitely stronger than those which prevail on the German side, and here again the plebiscite provides no reflection of these phases of public opinion and, consequently, the result of the plebiscite has failed to prove that which it was set up to prove —namely, that there exists a majority in Austria in favour of ansehluss.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, there is a considerable body of Austrian opinion in favour of the union, and this is based on Austria’s present condition. In their report to the Council of the League of Nations, Sir Walter Layton and Charles Rist, the French economist, wrote in 1925: “In our view (the economic crisis of Austria) is mainly due to the circumstances of the last few years, which have abruptly cheeked the natural expansion of the industries of Austria toward those markets to which her geographical position and her history have hitherto directed them. Close her markets and the readaptation of Austria’s industries will involve long and painful restrictions. Give her the means of disposing of her products, and she will have no difficulty’ in finding ways of developing her production and rapidly raising her standard of life.” Seeing that the Succession States had closed their frontiers to Austrian trade, and there was little prospect of those frontiers being opened again, the finding of the League’s investigators—said many Austrian commentators —amounted to saying diplomatically: “Let Austria unite with Germany; then she will be able 1o exist.”

It is by no means certain that ansehluss will solve. Austria’s problems. First, Germany is in no position to finance Austria : second, Austria is deficient in metals and in foodstuffs, and has to import both, as well as other raw materials. Some arrangement will also have to be entered into concerning Austrian indebtedness.

The condition of Austria to-day is certainly better than it was in the year 1925, but it. is still suffering from hypertrophy, in that it has a population of under seven millions, with two millions thereof concentrated within the capital of Vienna. This city grew up to accommodate the business of an empire of 52,000,000 people. The unbalanced condition of Austria will therefore remain for a long time; and until the essential adjustments have been made it. will be impossible to tell whether ansehluss will provide economic benefits or burdens. Meanwhile Germany will be discomfited by the lack of knowledge concerning Austria’s real feelings toward this marriage by compulsion.