Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
Europe's Biggest Problem
of

slider it as a prescription at hand in
case of disease.
Today. if We make a close examina-
ton Of the various tendencies of the
Austrian population. We probably will
find that the following analysis Is the
closest to the truth.
Austrian workmen are virtually unan-
imously in favor of the union, in the
same way and for the same reasons
that in the Ruhr during the French
occupation Of 1923 the workmen of the
German frontier province showed them
selves warmer patriots and more loyal
German citizens than most of their
pan-GermaniStic and Hohenzollernian
employers. The reason? Germany's
laws for workmen are the best in the
world from the labor point Of view. and
the workmen knew It.; they defended a
common patrimony. 1t is more or less
the same now with the Austrian work.
nlen-they know that to become Ger
man citizens Is to raise their privileges
and their standards of life.
The Austrian officials. big and small.
are for the AnschlusS. The public serv-
ants of every small state contiguous to
bigger state Of the same nationality
will always be in favor of a union. Such
move would mean greater chances for
them to attain higher grades. In Mon
tenegro. for instance, in spite Of spec
tacular show Of loyalty to the house of
the Petrovich- Niegosh. almost all the
officers. even before the World War,
were in favor of union with Serbia
In Serbia an officer could hope to be-
come in general: in microscopic Monte
negro only a colonel.
Division Of Opinion.
The intellectual bourgeoisie Of Aus
trta Is all for the union. OF the oppo-
site opinion are the ariStocratS: the
Hochgeborene of Northern and Southern
AuStria-men who are supremely indif-
ferent to the suppression of their titles
ordered by the new Austrian republic.
because they are proud enough to
know that their best title is their FAM
lily name and that this name nobody
can change-are living, retired, in their
castles, and rarely go to Vienna. All
powerful before the war, they no longer
exercise any political influence. AS they
are at present situated, it is sure that
they dislike the idea of the union.
The peasants, who are such an i'm
portant part of Austria, share the feel
ings of the aristocrats on this point.
It is more difficult to find out the real
opinion of the industrial world. have
the impression that the industrial lead
erS have not yet made up their minds:
that the Anschluss for them means only
a sentimental formula. which they may
like: but that they are reserving their
decision until more careful study has
been made of the economic results Of
the operation.
On the whole 1t seems undeniable that
the majority Of the Austrians today are
in favor Of the Anschluss. and that this
majority is produced by all Of the ma
terial reasons put together and the
idealistic tendencies which are being
ascertained with these reasons.
The strongest Of the psychological
springs, in my opinion, is to be found
in a reason which ought to give food for
thought to all those political groups and
parties that believe in the use Of vio-
ience: That the Anschluss is the forbid
den fruit.
The never" which the pages of the
Treaty of Versailles Illuminated against
the union of Austria to Germany is one
of the most awkward moral errors Of
this document. AS II such thing as
never would be conceivable In political
life. AS Ii certain pressures, which have
their origins outside Of q country. would
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