Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
SUCCESSFUL RULE
SENIOR M|KLAS
New President of Austria
Hailed by Politicians of
All Parties.

BY the Associated Press.
VIENNA, January 26.-Herr Wilhelm
Niklas newly elected President Of Aus
tria, still is INFESTED in his high office
but politicians of all parties predict his
success. Their confidence is based on
the ability he has shown for the last
eight years in one OF the most stormy
parliamentary posts in the world. that
OF president of the National Assembly.
Himself an ardent Christian Social
list (member of DR.. Seipels majority
party, he, nevertheless, was model
umpire in the many heated contro-
VerSies which = in the course OF
parliamentary dcoGte. Nor was his task
a simple one. In the Austrian National
Assembly scene of perfect calm Is apt
to be transformed into roaring inferno
of excitement and peril in few seconds
of time. Accusations are answered with
accusations, invectives are hurled indis-
criminately, and, as often as not. wild
rush by one party toward the benches
of the other may complete the scene.
No Task for Amateur.
To decide who is in the right or who
hurled the first epithet is no task for
an amateur. Any obvious injustice on
the part of the President in attributing
blame might provoke the temper of the
wronged side to fever heat, and, per-
hapS, to acts of violence. But here
Herr Miklas' tact and fine intuition in
variably senSed the quickest way in
which to calm the turbulent spirits. His
judgment was always correct and the
"call to order" was administered to the
deputy or party who deserved it--or TO
both. Thus peace was generally re-
stored and no new resentment was born
Of the incident.
But beyond his right-mindedness and
perSpicacity in political matters the
President, as school teacher, had pre-
viously proved himself to possess a
finely cultured mind, while, as chief
cashier at the central post Office, he had
shown integrity and gift for organi-
cation. Lastly, during his short term
as undersecretary of state for church
rites and worship, Herr MiklaS proved
himself thoroughly acquainted with the
religious needs of the population.
OF Religious Family.
The new President comes of a deeply
religious family which has given many
of its sons and daughters to the Roman
Catholic Church. OF six sons and a
daughter the Presidents father made
TWO SOLlo IcdCklctc, IHO lIACoOS dA10 OiAC
daughter a nun. OF his own IL chill
dren, in his turn, President Miklas had
2 sons and daughters enter the
church.
Austria's President is Sc years of age.
Not possessed of much private means
his family. despite its large size, has had
to content itself with a four-room
apartment which now has been sup
planted by a spacious official residence:
Unlike the President of the United
States with his state grant of SIS, 1000
and entertaining allowance of another
$4,000 per year, the Austrian PreSi-
dent has to make both ends meet on
$4,000, an automobile and few per-
Quisites of Office. However, the head
of Austria is expected not merely to
personify with BETTING dignity the
sovereignty of his country but to be
prepared also to shoulder the burden of
travelling from province to province, to
declare open each new mile OF railway
or hydroelectric power station, college
building or cattle show-and thus slim
ulate his co-nationals to new efforts.