Evening star., 1928-12-22

CONTINUED From First Page)
a unanimous vote of the League of
Nations Council.
Under these circumstances Germany
and Austria have begun to effect a
practical union pending such time as
they shall be able to declare the union
in legal manner. The penal codes
of the two countries are now completely
unified. Railway, monetary and even
customs unions are being studied.
There have been official exchanges
between Berlin and Vienna and there
is a certain degree of educational
union. It is said that German capital
has been gradually acquiring control
of the Austrian press and industries.
The object of these movements is
obviously to place the uniting countries
in a position where they will be able
to face the opponents to anschlusS with
a situation where unity already exists
In everything except in name.
Some Austrians Balk.
It is true that few Austrian Con-
ServativeS balk at seeing their nation
disappear into greater Germany, and
the German Conservatives dislike the
Austrian socialism and Austrian Catholi-
cism, but the mass Of the population of
both countries now openly favors the
union viewpoint.
The Austro-German viewpoint is
simple.
Austria and Germany, it is argued,
are composed of zone people, one ma
tion." The principles of nationality and
Self-determination upon which the peace
treaty was supposedly based, are in
voked. Austria, it is said, as now con-
Stituted cannot exist. Union is a great
and inevitable historic evolution" which
In the long run nothing can prevent
beginning doubtless with a European
customs union, with its final realization
a "Pan-Europa."
To this the French and the allies
reply somewhat as follows:
Austria and Germany have never In
history been united. Self determine
ton implies oppression of the racial
minority. In any case it does not con-
fer the right of national suicide. When
Belgium in 1881, after secession from
Holland, wanted to join France Britain
prevented the union by threat of war,
and IL years later even vetoed a
Franco-Belgium customs union.
The United States, under the Monroe
doctrine, successfully opposes abdica-
ton of independence or cession of ter
ritory by any American to any non
American state.
Many concessions have been made to
Austria in the way of loans as repara-
tions settlement, and commercial facili-
ties to make Austrias economic situa-
ton easier.
The Little Entente has offered to take
Austria in and make better economic
arrangements, but Austria has refused
on the ground that it could not join
any combination not including Ger
many.
II Germany Is allowed to annex Aus
tria, which has an area three times that
or Belgium and population of seven
millions, Germany would have a total
population of seventy millions and be
considerably stronger even than before
the war. For she would dominate the
smaller states of Central Europe, where
formerly Russia and Austro-H Hungary
played counterbalancing roles.
Germany would inclose CzechoSlovakia
as in the hollow Of a hand, and with
the help Of Hungary could soon extend
AASA oW0y UAAOASAAOut UA1C GdlAdI1S, JUl1l
Russia to crush Poland and dictate the
will of the entire continent
"Mittel-Europa, the main objective
Of the World War, would then be real
lied. The world balance would be un-
settled The treaty of Versailles would
be overthrown and the peace of the
world endangered.
France and Allies.
For all these reasons France and the
allies feel that it is in their vital in
terest to see that the treaty is faith
fully observed. This Is also why M
BRAND. in the present negotiations for
the evacuation of the Rhineland, keeps
asking Foreign Minister Stresemann for
reassurances regarding anSchluSS. It is
also why France hesitated to sign the
Kellogg pact. She feared that if Ger
many and Austria declared a union,
despite the treaties, France and the
allies would be obliged passively to ac-
cept the accomplished fact, because the
Kellogg pact forbids the use Of force
except in selft-defense
British Liberals, hostile to France
and desirous of seeing new balance
of power between France and Germany,
favor anschluss, but the Conservative
British government favorS the French
viewpoint, at least for the present.