Evening star., 1933-08-27
GERMANY ALARMS EUROPE
BY DESIGNS ON AUSTRIA
Germ of Old Empire Feared in Third
Attempt at Union, This Time Taking
Form of Hitlerizing Activities.

of the French-speaking Belgians with
France
Great Britain does not want the
| balance thus disturbed. France Is even
! firmer in its determination to prevent
the absorption of Austria by Germany.
| Czechoslovakia and Poland both have
every reason to fear PAM -Germanism.
| But the present leader Of the fight
| to save Austrias independence is
Italian Premier Benito Mussolini, who,
with the full consent Of France and
Great Britain, is attempting to mediate
between Berlin and Vienna.
Fascist Italy. though sentimentally
| favorable to Hitlerism. Is firmly deter
mined to keep Austria independent as
buffer state between Italy and Ger
many. Italy itself aspires to expand
its influence in the Balkans and has
no desire to encounter there some new
pan-German push toward the Near
East.
The Italian viewpoint Is expressed In
unmistakable terms in brochure
which has just appeared In italy, pre-
sumably with government approval,
called ITALY and Hitler's Germany"
It's author, Giovanucci, says that Aus
trian independence Is vital to Italy. He
explains:
"A tiny. homogeneous Austria, With
an immense mass of men beside it.
would inevitably fall under the in
f1uence and dependency Of the German
bloc. This, for us, would mean war
war for salvation. What neighboring
and friendly people would dare consider
as unjust or imperialistic Italy's vital
interest to prevent at any price union
of Austria and Germany? Our German
friends ought to understand this"
1t should be noted that the question
for Italy is not whether Austria wants
to join Germany or not. 1t is simply
that Italy, in any case, intends to pre-
vent such a union for what it regards
as imperious reasons of self-preserva-
ton.
Waiting On Italy.
So. for the moment, France and
Great Britain are saying little, and
Poland and CzechSlovakia are saying
little. They are giving Dollfuss their
moral support and letting Mussolini do
the rest. The italian dictator is be-
lieved to have plan to settle the
whole question. once and for all. Just
what is not known.
He had a long talk with Dollfuss the
other day He is now said to be in
viting Dr. Eduard Benes, CzechoSlovak
AOISASLl AlAlLotCl, w COlllC W SCC llllll LII
Rome And there is a vague project
by which the French, British and Ger
man foreign ministers would all 60 to
Rome to consult under Mussolini's new
four-power pact late in october.
The French have long desired to
stabilize the Danubian states by group
ing them all in a sort of economic con-
federation, but Italy opposes this and
SO does Germany. Italy is believed to
prefer a sort Of Austro- Hungarian eco
nomic alliance under italian auspices
and involving the development of the
italian port of Trieste as an outlet for
Austria and Hungary.
But the little entente states
(Czechosl oslovakia, Yugoslavia and Ru-
mania), backed by France. look askance
on this germ Of revival of the old Aus
tro-Hungarian Empire
1t is probable. therefore, only after
Mussolini completes his present series
CT consultations, not only with Ger
many. France. Great Britain, Austria
and Hungary. but also with Czechoslo-
vakia. that he really will be in a posi-
tion to put forward those definite pro-
posals for Danubian reconstruction
which the worlds chancelleries seem
now to expect from him.
(Copyrieht 1Q33)