Evening star., 1934-01-14
Fascism May Prove
Salvation of Austria
By A. G. GARDINER.

LONDON, January 13.-1n the gen.
eral chaos that has fallen upon Dame
Europe's school, the fate Of Austria is
most pathetic. Herr Dollfuss, the pocket
dictator, still maintains his seat in the
saddle, but he maintains it less by his
own effort than by the weaknesses and
divisions both of his friends and of his
foes.
Two things count In Dollfuss' favor.
Economically the position of the coun-
try shows improvement. 1t Is true that
the vast industry dependent on the
ruined by the German boycott. that
the agricultural population is desper-
ately hard hit and that food prices are
artifcially high. but the internal loan
has been oversubscribed, the financial
position Is more stable and there are
many evidences, slight but collectively
important, that the industrial outlook
Is improving.
The other favorable fact is the de-
clining pressure Of the Nazi movement
outside and within. When I was in
Austria in the Summer Hitler's CAM
at Its height and the collapse Of the
country into the German system
seemed imminent. That collapse Is
much less likely today. although spo-
radio outbreaks, as at Klagenfurth this
week, continue. The movement in the
country is still numerically powerful
and. If the Heimwehr Joins it, as near
ly happened q short time ago. it would
be formidable. But the danger point
now seems to be passed.
The Heimwehr leans much more to
Italian Fascism than to German Hitler
ism and its resources are impoverished
by the drying up Of funds from Rome.
The peasantry are still bitten by the
Nad germ, but generally the star OF
Hitler has definitely declined The old
fear Of Prussian militarism, now 90
firmly established in control Of Ger
many, Is revived, together with the old
Austrian hatred of the aggressive Prus-
sian temperament.
+
Moreover, the Socialists, although
they do not love Dollfuss and the cler-
icais, fear the Na1 gospel still more
They will not dethrone Dollfus to make
Hitler master of their destinies. Doll
fus' successful resistance Of the Ger
man menace has been aided by the
moral support he has received from
Signor Mussolini, but while there Is
much talk Of the introduction of the CO.
0tlVC ot6tC, ~ - AlOt OAAC 1oSSAos
model that is most in the air.
Events point to the possibility Of an
Austrian Fascism under the sanction of
Rome of the Vatican rather than the
Rome Of Mussolini. Austria has always
been the. pet child of the Vatican and
the pastoral letter of the Austrian
bishops has given impulse to the idea
of q cooperative state on an ecclesias-
tical rather than q political foundation.
The priesthood will withdraw from po-
litical activity, but only as q prelimi-
nary to the dissolution Of all political
parties and the substitution Of sort Of
guild system of vocational organizations.
Cardinal Innitser denounced the prin-
ciples Of Hitlerism. Humanity Is one
family" he says, bound by justice and
love: we therefore condemn the National
leads and must lead to interracial
hatred and conflict" The church, 1t
would seem. therefore, has only with
Command Of the state and to make Aus
tria more than ever the child Of Rome.
Austrian Fascism will be neither Italian
nor German, but clerical Fascism-a
cooperative state under the authority
Of the church.
There win, Of course, be obstacles to
the fildllment Of this design. The
Carinthian peasantry. who are largely
anti-clerical and Protestant-hence
their leaningy to German Nazidom-
win be hostile. There Is also an i'm
portant section Of middle-class opinion
which has always been strongly anti
clerical opposed In the past to the Aus
tria which was ruined by the Haps-
hurgs and partially rebuilt by the late
Chancellor Seipel. Moreover, Dollfuss
is suspect IN the eyes Of the church, for
his patriotic front" has been largely
financed by the Jews-hence its failure
to become . formidable political instru-
ment, for neither the church nor the
Nazi has any prediction for the Jews.
The Socialists probably would be d.
vided on the question Of the Catholic
FASCIST state. They would not neces-
sarily b opposed 70 society organized