The Washington herald., 1921-04-28
TYROLESE PLEBISCTTE RAISES
EMBARRASSING PROBL LEMFOR
LEAGUE, IN SIMONDS' OPINION
Decision Favoring Partial Annexation to Ba
# varia Opposed by France

successful in overpersuading theI
Austrians, this situation would not
endure and Austria would presently
be satisfied with independence. as
Belgium had been after the Great
Powers had forbidden the union with
France in 1915 and again in 1899.
An effort to hold a plebiscite in
Austria was prevented by the French
announcement that all attempts to
aid Austria economically would be
abandoned IL the plebiscite took
place. AS a consequence the debate
has gone on steadily. but there has
been no actual election for the
whole Austrian state. Last Sunday.
however, a vote was taken in a
fragment of the old Tyrol. left after
the Paris treaties.
Tyrol Before the War.
Here the question would seem
qute simple. Before the war the
fyrol had an area Of some 10000
square miles. little more than that
of New Jersey. and a population
Of approximately a million. II was
divided into three fairly distinct
regions: The Trentino. extending
northward through Trent to the
VI DOSCus III HANu NhC pOp-t
ulation was wholly italian and sup
piled one OF the main arguments
for Italian entrance into the war:
north of the Italian district but
south of the Brenner Pass a second
region. containing the famous
mountain resort Of Meran, which
tory: finally a third region, north of
h. NNA al
German in speech.
Under the Paris agreement the
Italians annexed the two districts to
the south OF the Brenner, the Tren-
tino because Of its Italian character
and the region to the north as
strategic necessity. to give Italy
her natural frontier OF the summit
of the Alps. Thus there remained of
the Tyrol less than 5000 square
miles. containing only 100000 in
habitants. II is in this region, in
which Innsbruck is the only con-
siderable town. that the recent
plebiscite has been held and the'
overwhelming vote for union with
Germany cast.
Looking at the map II will be seen
that the situation of this TyroIese
fragment is geographically and
economically impossible. Politically
II belongs to Austria, but actually
Innsbruck is connected with Vienna
by only one roundabout railway
line, and the district is now no
more than the high valley of the
Inn River. extending from the Ba-
varian frontier to the crest of the
Alps and opening northward to
Munich. All its markets, Its sources
of supplies are in Bavaria.
Historically the region was once
Bavarian. but Napoleon gave 1t to
the House of Wittelsbach to reward
service to France. Austria took IL
back at the Congress of Vienna, and
the Tyrol. under the leadership OF
Andreas Hofer. remained stead
fastly loyal to the House OF Haps-
burg and ,defed Napoleon at the
moment of his greatest power.
French Oppose Union.
Today, however, Austria is little
more than a memory. and the frag-
ment Of the Tyrol which has escaped
Italian annexation can hardly exist.
save within the German customs
area. Whatever arguments can be
adduced to block an Austro- German
federation, union Of the Tyrol with
Bavaria seems inevitable. and the
only reasonable solution for an alb
surd situation. But. obviously, the
French will oppose the project, since
they will quite correctly see that II
is the first step toward the absorp-
tion of all OF Austria.
- With the Tyrolese question there
is also raised that Of the Voralberg.
district OF old Austria west OF
the Tyrol and almost included in
Switzerland The people OF this
region have asked for admittance
to the Swiss Confederation. and
their request has temporarily been
refused. but IL the Tyrol goes TO
Bavaria, Switzerland will probably
consent to accept the Voralberg.
thus adding thousand square
miles to Swiss area, and slightly
less than 10000 to her population.
Salsburg and Bavaria.
Were the Tyrolese successful in
urging their claims, however, the
inhabitants of the neighboring dis
trict OF Salzburg would unquestion-
ably ask similar favor for practi-
cally the same reasons. for Salzburg
is almost as completely dependent.
economically, upon Bavaria as the
Tyrol. and in Napoleon's time it was
also Joined to that country.
The Tyrolese problem is one
which involves some of the worst
errors of the whole peace settle
ment. The surrender of 100000
people to Italy on
purely strategic grounds was a
palpable wrong. for which Mr.. Will
sons only Justification was that
it was an oversight" Denial of
the right of the Austrian people
to join Germany is also a cause
for endless criticism. Now, through
the plebiscite, the whole question
is raised again in a still more en-
barrassing form.