Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-23
Germany and Austria Join Up.

"AnschluSs" - joining up between
Germany and Austria is about to be
effected In so far as a customs union is
concerned. Thus the Berlin and Vienna
governments have taken the first step
leading to that political solidarity be-
tween the Teutonic nations which the
victors who dictated the treaties of YER
sailles and st. German planned spe-
cif1cally to prevent. In both pacts, and
somewhat more categorically in that Of
st. German exclusively affecting Austria,
the defeated central powers were for
hidden to do anything that would COM
premise the independence of Austria
** directly or indirectly" without the
consent of the Council of the League of
Nations.
The German and Austrian govern
ments assert that they have in no way
contravened either the letter or the
spirit of the peace treaties in agreeing
to tear down mutual tariff barriers. In
extenuation Of their action they adduce
the argument that it is in straight line
with M. Brands proposal for United
States of Europe "a pan-European
union which would make for economic
peace and prosperity without sacrifice
Of political sovereignty. In further JUS
LITIGATION of the innocence and benef1-
cence of their plan, Germany and Aus
tria Invite other European states to
enter the customs union of which they
now have supplied the corner stone.
All Europe is set by the ears by this
dramatic stroke of Teutonic statecraft.
That it will not be permitted to become
an accomplished fact through ratilca-
tion of the Berlin and Vienna Parlia-
ments without searching exploration Of
its intent by other governments is q
foregone conclusion. Already Paris,
Prague, Bucharest and Rome are sug-
costing that the treaty provisions against
AnschluSS have been evaded A three
year Austro- German customs union on
its face may seen innocuous enough.
But the Old World powers have not for
gotten that the once mighty empire Of
the Hohenzollerns was the direct out
growth of a Zollverein or tariff league
among the formerly independent Ger
man kingdoms, duchies and principah-
ties. The conquerors who wrote the
peace Of Versailles and st. German are
bound to make sure that out Of the lit
tie acorns Of a customs union in Central
Europe, another tall Teutonic oak will
not be set growing.
A glance at the postwar map Of
Europe discloses that Czechoslovakia
has the hveliest interest in frustrating
anything likely to bring about q politi-
cal merger between Germany and
Austria. Article 81 of the treaty of
Versailles provides that "the old from
tier, as it existed on August 8, 1914,
between Austria Hungary and the Ger
man Empire, win constitute the frontier
between Germany and the Csechoslovak
state" If for all practical purposes
the old central powers were some day
to become q political unit, CSscho-
slovakia would fnd herself within the
iron embraces Of ''pincers" gripping
her westernmost area - roughly, half
the country-with Germany enveloping
her on the north and west and Austria
on the south. Nor could ncighboring
Hungary, Jugoslavia and Italy view
with composure q cementing Of Teu-
tonic power.
AS to Italy, the suggestion has be-
come promptly current that AnschluSs
is the Germanic states answer to
Mussolinis "duplicity" in sealing a
naval impeachment with France, thus
driving a breach in the revisionist wall
which Berlin has been so aSsiduously
rearing. 1taly's adhesion to the plan
to compel the rewriting of the YER
sailles treaty's territorial provisions is
one of the supports upon which the
Germans heretofore have most strongly
leaned. If Rome has gone anti-re-
vision, Berlin may be driven into the
arms Of Moscow.
And what If Soviet Russia, now
feverishly stampeding toward compile
ton Of the flve-year plan, is the first to
accept the invitation to join the new
Germanic zollverein2 That alone is a
specter which gives all Europe-in q
famous Teutonic idicm-furiously to
think. How far a step would 1t be from
Russo Austro- German customs union
to a new triple alliance2 Could not
such a consolidation Of European
strength be legitimately depicted Is
naught but a tit for the tat, say, Of the
Little Entente or Of the series Of military
alliances which the French have built
up since the World War?
These, and more than these, are
questions conjured UP, as If by lightning
fash, by the undoubted coup which
Teutonic craftsmanship has sprung
upon q Europe already stewing in the
juice Of a myriad Of jealousies, con-
troversies and rivalries. Anschluss be-
comes from now on q major problem
across the Atlantic, and one that will
call upon all the resources of European
craftsmanship If it Is to be solved
aYnicahlV and soon