AUSTRIA ANTICOMMUNIST

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 October 1947, Page 5

AUSTRIA ANTICOMMUNIST

OUTSPOKEN SPEECHES BY FOREIGN MINISTER (N.Z.P.A.—Reuter—Copyright.) Recd. 9 p.m. London, Oct. 1 A series of remarkably outspoken speeches by Austrian Ministers, notably by the Foreign Minister (Dr. Gruber) during the past few days have placed the Austrian Government squarely on record as being opposed to the policies of the Soviet Union, says the “Daily Telegraph’s” Vienna correspondent, who points out that these pronouncements have come at a time of growing Communist agitation within Austria. The public is overwhelmingly antiCommunist, the correspondent says, but there are fears that Austria, with Communist - dominated States on three sides, is about to become a target mounting Soviet pressure. Dr. Gruber' who at present is on tour of the Tyrol, declared in one speech that an attempt was being made to force Austria into a political combination which would cut her off completely from the west.

In another he attacked Russia’s stand on the prooiem of German assets in Austria, and deplored her exploitation of Austrian oil resources. Austria did not intend to come under any domination, either from the east or the west, he added.