The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-06-11
Austrian Tyrol
Which Wants to Be a Part Of
Germany

! Washington. June 7.-Austrian Ty'
rol, the most mountainous part OF
Austria, which voted unofticially re-
Gently 10 join itself to Germany, i:
ldescribed in the following bulletin is
sued from the Washington, d. C..
Headquarters Uf the National Geo
graphic Society:
'.Tyrol is second Switzerland
about equally mountainous. though
not quite SO well known 10 the tour
| lists Of the outside world. Still, as the
home OF snow-capped peaks, deep val
leys, and sturdy. yoelding peasants, it
had it's need of fame among those
who search out the beauty spots and
quaint localities Of the world. And to
the AuStrians themselves it was the
pleasure-ground par excellence. In
the care-free days before the out
break Of the world war $50 Tyrolean n
health resorts and recreation centers
were listed. Emperor Francis 3o-
Iseph who was an ardent mountain
climber. had summer palace, at
Ischol in Tyrol. and at other places
in that mountainous region he main
tanned hunting estates and lodges
which he considered the hnest in Eu-
rope.
TyrOl Only Half Pre-War Size
But Tyrol of today is far differen;
from the 1yrcl Of ten years ago. shen
the region under Austrian control ex-
tended far south of the main crest OF
the Alps almost to the plains OF
northern Italy This southern region
was known as Trentino to the Italians
and was one Of the most important
parts Of Italia irredenta. When the
victorious Allies wrote the Treaty Of
St. Germain which closed the war
with Austria, the Italian border was
moved north to the position claimed
by the Italians for centuries; and so
more than half of the old Tyrol was
Topped off. u' S&I -
The present Austrian Tyrol is a re-
gion of approximately the area OF
Connecticut and with a population OF
less than half a million. While the
old southern Tyrol, on the south
slopes of the Alps and exposed to the
sunshine and warm winds Of Italy,
has a rather mild climate, the part
which has remained to Austria. north
of the highest mountains, has rigor-
Gus climatic conditions. In some years
hardly a month is free from frost,
and heavy snow covers much of the
ground for seven months Of the year
The pasturing Of cattle on the Alpine
meadows is the principa! industry, put
sparse crops Of rye and oats are rails
ed throughout the arabic portions OF
the country.
THE main watershed of the Alps
which now marks the southern bound
ary of Tyrol is the linguistic as we'll as
the logical geographic boundary. 10
the south, even under Austrian domi-
nation, italian or a mixed patios in
which Italian predominated. was the
language in general use. To the north
however, the country had been thor
oughly GermaniciZed since the fifth
century. The doorway between these
Latin and Teuton worlds is the Bren-
ner Pass, famous since the Roman le-
gions used it in passing north TO con-
auer the barbarians. Since 1861
railroad has traversed it.
Touches Germany on North
.On the west, Austrian Tyrol in ef-
feet is bounded by Switzerland,
though the westernmost part OF the
region is called Vora!herg. 1t ls gov
erned with Tyrol. To the north lies
the southernmost country OF Ger
many, Bavaria. Eastward Tyrol IS
bordered by other Of the few remain
ing provinces Of Austria
Innsbruck, situated at about the
center of the present Tyrol. is its cap
ital. With its population Of appfoXi-
malely 10000, it Was the largest city
in the old Tyrol. Most Of the other
cities of any size We're in Italian ~
rol: BoZen, Rovereto and Trent. The
latter city, with a population of 10000
though in what was Austrian territory
before the world war. was almost
wholly Italian in language, archltec-
ture. and the names of streets, build
ings and public places. Among the
towns lost to Austria by revision OF
the southern boundary OF Tyrol was
N1eran where is situated Tyrol castle.
the seat Of the counts of Iyrol, from
which the entire region took It's
name -