Albuquerque morning journal., 1921-05-27
THREE AUSTRIAN
PROVINCES WILL
HOLD ELECTIONS
Sentimental Referendum
on Question Of Fusion
With Germany viii Be
Staged Sunday.

Vienna, May 26 (by the AssoCi-
ated Press. )-Three more provin-
ces will initiate the Tyrol ana mold
sentimental refercndums on the
question Of the fusion of Austria
with Germany. Salzburg, Styria
and Upper Austria have set May
l29 as the tentative date for the
ballot and it is believed that Carin-
thia also will fan into line. Voral-
berg, the westermost of the states
last summer voted practically
unanimously to join Switzerland.
The almost unanimous vote fOH
fusion in the Tyrol on April 81
was a surprise even to the most
ardent of fusionists. They had es-
timated an so to 90 per cent favor
able ballot and it is conceded that
the excess represented an element
OF those hard-headed mountaineers
who voted simply because of the
entente prohibition against the re-
ferendum.
THE movement toward union
| with Germany, born almost imme-
diately after the creation of the
republic, has grown steadily and
these sporadic and Independent
}reforendums are the outgrowth Of
1.-THE failure of the effort to forco
the central government to defy the
entente and order a nation wide
vote,
According to foreign observers
who have kept a watchful eye on
the agitation there is no doubt thai
the total vote will show a heavy
majority for the union, They do
not share the belief professed by the
opponents of the movement that #
the vote actually meant action in
stead of a sentimental expression
of opinion it would not carry. On
the contrary they express the be-
lief that it is genuine and earnest
thought and desire on the part Of
the mass of the people and say
they are motivated by three con-
trolling things.
Fear Austria Can't Last.
First is the firmly rooted con-
viction that Austria cannot sur
vive politically or economically as
an independent state. The eco
nomic arguments have been set be-
fore the world officially and un-
officially for the past two years
but the political phase of the mat
ter was brought to focus by the
former Emperor Charles recent at
tempt to regain the throne in
Hungary.
The threat of Jugoslavia, CzechO-
slovakia and Rumania to occupy
Hungary if a Hapsburg is restored
spells an inevitable occupation of
Austria along with it. They real
fze the utter impotence of the
little unarmed republic against its|
powerful Slav neighbors and the
present political sitautiOn in cor
tral Europe does not calm their
.apprehensions
AS part of the stronger German
state, they feel that they would be
secure against any aggression and
lat the same time obtain advantages
of a commercial nature which they
cannot hope to gain Independently.
The belief of Austria in the rchab-
ilitation of Germany is abiding and
they wish to share it.
Behind this motive is said to lie
the natural racial and language
tie, coupled with the dread that
Slav institutions will aupplant
their Germanic traditions and cul-
ture.
Another important factor is the
well organized and effective Ger
man propaganda. directed by
north Germans and financed by |
them, it evidenced its efficiency in !
the Tyrol vote, The Vienna oppo-
sitioh press openly charged that |
100000 marks were spent on that
referendum alone and that as
much more as may be needed will |
be forthcoming to keep the NOV
ing going.
Coupled with this charge is the |
name of Hugo, SHINES, the great |
German capitalist, whose recent |
business invasion of Austria, rang |
ing from purchases Of newspapers
in Vienna and every provincial !,
capital through many enterprises
to control of the great Alpine
Montague corporation, one Of the
largest in Europe, has had first |
page newspaper place for months. /