Evening star., 1932-03-06
AUSTRIA IN DILEMMA.
Franco German Struggle for Future
Hegemony Centers In Vienna.

VIENNA, March 5 (speciaD Aus
tria today is dramatically between the
devil and the deep sea.
The new diplomatic struggle between
France and Germany for the future
hegemony of Central Europe is cor
centrated on Vienna, which is drawn
like helpless shuttlecock between the
two. The Austrian. government is
preparing an answer to the declaration
yesterday Of the German minister TO
vienna, DR.. K. Rieth, that Germany IS
Treatment for exports.
The course of events has been as
follows:
Chancellor Karl Buresch Of Austria
on February 16 announced to the
Ministers Of France, Great Britain, Italy
and Germany that Austria was at the
end Of the rope and could survive no
longer without outside aid.
Might Save Austria.
The first response was demarche by
Premier Tardieu Of France at Geneva
on March /, reiterating the French
proposals for what would amount TO a
Danubian confederation between Aus
tria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia
BY such an arrangement France thinks
Austria could be saved, that the position
of Hungary would be improved and the
trade of both with Czechoslovakia in
creased to triple benefit. Incidentally
French dominance of Central Europe
would be ensured
But there are several points against
the Danubian confederation idea-one
Of them being that Austria SO far is
convinced that it is practically un-
workable.
Elaborate figures have been prepared
10 show that the three Danubian
countries are not perfectRartners and
that preferential trade Between them
Is not feasible.
The strong pan-German element in
Austria is hotly against a Danube con-
federation. NJ. Tardieu's demarche
was issued with the tacit support OF
Italy and Great Britain, but with Ger
many omitted Therefore Germany
has quickly countered. DR.. Reith's
counter proposal is so far vague-so
is the Tardieu scheme-but it does
state that Germany will be prepared TO
negotiate preferential treatment for
Austrian goods. One-flfth of Austrias
exports go TO Germany.
Moral Gesture Seen.
More than this, however, it is a moral
gesture of extending the long arm of
ing the world that Germany will not
willingly suffer Austria to become
partner in any non-German combina-
ton. Thus, like TIE proposed Austro-
German customs union. which pre-
clpitated such disaster on Europe las
year, 1t is an attempt to spike French
designs in Central Europe
1t is considered highly dubious here
whether the German plan can succeed
no m zrz
maneuver to satisfy German Chauvin-
lists.
France was able to wreck the pro-
tected customs union easily enough
though not without considerable hys-
terics-and this much smaller business
may be similarly squashed by political
action. Again, any Austro- German
preferential treaty would 60 counter to
the most-fayored-nation clause in va
rious treaties. and the Czechs at least
would denounce 1t.
SO Austria, as usual. is in a quandary.
Some acknowledgement of the German
offer must be made. But Austria knows
who holds the purse strings and does
not want to offend France
Meanwhile, something will soon have
10 be done. The Austrian trade bal
ance is mountingly unfavorable, the bud
get deficit Is expected to top 10000, 600
schillings ($42, 600, ,000), and the covery
Of currency is shrinking gravely. Which
way will Austria turn-to the more or
less helpless Germany, to which it is
Sttached with the closest ties of ma
tionality and sympathy of ideals, or to
France, for which it has no fondness,
but whose power it must respect?
(Copyright. ls32)
Manitoba, Canada, had more Ameri.