Evening star., 1925-05-24
AUSTRIA GROWING COLD
TO UNION WITH GERMANY
Sentiment Is Striking After-Effect of Hin
denburg's Election-Vienna Has Never
Been Unanimously Favorable to Fusion.

tented part while nearly half Of the
population actually belonged to the
French race. But France did not feel
strong enough to face Europe, which
had only recently conquered her, rec
oEnized that Britain would never con
sent to such Il union, and therefore
aSSented in the creation of the Bel
gian kingdom, which has developed
into a going state and thus abolished
any question of union with France.
Would Reopen Whole Issue.
There is really no valid reason why
this history may not be repeated in
the case of Austria. Moreover. the
veto of the union with GERMANY
veto which Italy. CZechoslovakia and
JugoslaVia are just as much inter
ested in maintaining as F'rance-re
calls the veto of the other allies To
the French annexation OF Belgium.
If Germany We're TO come to Vienna,
then the whole question of central
Europe would be reopened-CZecho-
slovakia would he menaced with en-
circlement and suffocation. Italy
would be threatened alike in her pos
session of the German-speaking upper
AdiGe and at Trieste. toward which
German aspiration would turn again.
seeking an outlet upon the Adriatic.
An indepe ndent Austria is a guar
antee Of the development of the south
east of Europe, the Balkan States and
Czechoslovakia in accordance with ma
tional aspira tions and racial condi-
tionS. The day might well come when
some sort of commercial. if not polit-
ical. confederation of the Danuhian
states would come about In a sense.
Austria would play the same role of
buffer state that Switzerland has
played for several centuries, but the
arrival of Germany at Vienna would
be tantamount to throwing the whole
situation into the melting pot again.
Time l. Danger.
For German aspirations. such a.
exist, time il fatal danger; Tor if
Austria should develop into a self.
sustaining state. and If Germany
should once more develop into an
aggressive and disturbing factor. then
all temptation to the AuSlrians to
join the Reich would disappear and
the issue would no longer he one Of
self-determination. but of German i'm
perialism. And this is why the agi-
tation within Germany is taking on
new vitality in recent months. 1t is
because the sentiment favorable 10.
the annexation is weakening in Aus
tria and may presently disappear.
Today the union of Austria with
Germany could only he accomplished
by another general war The little
entente. France. Poland, and even
Italy, would fight TO prevent such
combination, while Germany could
only look TO Hungary and Bulgaria
for aid. This is. of course. equally
true of the German ambition to re
make the eastern frontier save as it
would involve different nations. but
all German maneuverS now must for
q long time remain comprehended in
the effort 10 keep the issues alive and
await a favorable hour.
Beyond debate. the Austrian en-
thusiaSm for the fusion is dying, and
the chances are that long before Ger
many can acquire the necessary
strength Austria will have become an
other Belgium, satisfied with its own
independence. In any event, this is
the one hope of any considerable pc
riod of peace in Europe, for if the
Austrian question is reopened it can
only mean chaos and conflict all over
Europe. During the next 10 years no
question is likely TO he more fire.
quently discussed than this union of
Austria with Germany, but none is
less likely to have a new solution.
tCopyright. l925.i