Evening star., 1933-08-22
italy Stands by Austria.

Although Adolf Hitler cnoce oei'i'o
Mussolini as his model and Fascist
Italy as the pattern for the third
Reich" Germany has Just discovered
that she cannot depend upon 1taly's
support of Berlin's impudent plan to
bring Austria, by hook or by crook,
under the Brown Shirt yoke, and re-
duce the remnant Of the old Hapsburg
empire to the ignominious status OF
Hitler yassal. If there were ever any
doubt on that score, 1t has been re-
moved by the results Of a visit which
Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss
has Just had with Premier Mussolini IN
the little italian town Of Riccione. The
head Of the Vienna government re-
ceived the assurance Of II Duce that
italy IS more determined than ever to
prevent Germany from goboling up
Austria and will continue to help
Chancellor Dollfuss fight the battle OF
his country's independence. The Mus
solini-Dollfuss conversations during the
recent week end happened to synchro-
nize with another provocative radio
broadcast by Hitler's so-called "inspec-
tor for Austria" in which the Nazi pur-
pose to wreck the Dollfuss government
and force Austria into a union with
Germany was proclaimed anew in
truculent terms.
A couple Of weeks ago, when the
British and French governments Joined
in a formal remonstrance at Berlin
against German interference in Austria,
italy somewhat conspicuously refrained
from participating in the protest of her
associates in the recently consummated
four-power European peace pact, IN
which Germany herself Is a participant.
But If the Nazis deduced from that cir
cumstance that the Italians have no
objections to German subjugation and
absorption Of Austria, events Of the
past forty-eight hours thoroughly dis
sipate that theory.
As long as Austria remains a free
and independent state she stands as q
buffer between Italy and the immensely
more populous German Reich. Mus
solini has no cause to banker for the
immediate proximity Of 30 powerful a
neighbor, which, In pursuance Of Hit
lerits plans to recover the territory lost
by the Central Powers In the World
War, might some day seek to despoil
italy of the Tyrolean provinces and
the Trentino. which came to her as the
fruits Of victory.
Mussolini, Of course, in pursuit OF
his mounting ambitions for the greater
glory of Italy, Is not inspired exclu-
sively by altruistic interest In the in
dependence of Austria. He is, Incl
dentally, concerned with the broader
question Of the entire Danube region.
Italian policy to that end will continue
to try to bring Austria and Hungary
separately-more securely than ever into
the Italian orbit, thus to a certain degree
checkmating French influence In South
eastern Europe OF immediate moment
Is the fact that Great Britain, France
and Italy are now marching shoulder
to shoulder in defense of Austrian in
dependence. In presence Of that devel-
opment, it is difficult to conceive that
even Nazi recklessness would ever reach
q point where Hitler would risk clash
with the three great powers in pur-
suit of his vendetta against Chancellor
Dollfuss and his designs to terrorrize Aus
tria into becoming a Na1 satrapy gov
erned from Berlin. The Nazis are now
plainly on notice that they will foment
forcible Anschluss at Germanys peril.
Chancellor Dollfuss, physically, Is said
to be the smallest statesman In Europe,
but he has proved himself q little
giant of diplomacy in building for Aus
tria a bulwark Of support that now
stretches from the English Channel to
the Adriatic. Against such a combi-
nation of strength leagued for the de-
tense Of Austrian independence, Naz
intrigues will be carried on in vain,
though not without violent repercus-
sions should there ever be an attempt
to translate them from sheer bluff and
intimidation into anything savoring OF
1xio~,