Evening star., 1934-02-18
BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.

-
- European stage, under an in
tense spotlight, stands today
4 stalky, bald-headed man, Be
nito Mussolini, premier of Italy.
The extraordinary civil war in
Austria this week has focused the
eyes of the polictical world not so
much upon Austria, as upon Italy.
Every one familiar with the deadly
chess game which German expansion
ism has revivified throughout Europe
now asks the single question:
What will Mussolini do?"
For hitherto little Engelbert Doll
fuss, chancellor of Austria, in his
fight against big Adolf Hitler, chan
kellor of Germany, has had the sym
pathy of public opinion in both Great
Britain and France.
Loses Middle Class Aid.
In both countries one has the i'm
preston that the man in the street"
was ready to go further in supporting
the plucky Austrian chancellor than
the British or French governments.
But by his brutal and unprovoked at
tack upon the Socialist party, which
consistently polled 40 per cent of all
the Austrian votes, DollfuSS unques-
tionably has forfeited liberal opinion
In Great Britain and France.
Attempts to mobilize general opin-
ion in either country in favor of active
support of the tiny chancellor will
meet with the reply that free French
men and Britishers will not move to
support the assassin of the Austrian
IL tr lfe Nif1in
confined to the Socialists in France
and Great Britain.
Dollfuss has therefore reduced his
support virtually to Italy alone. There
is no doubt but that in suppresSinG
the goddess Socialists" DollfuSs be-
lieved he was doing the Lords work.
There is little doubt that he honestly
hates sef-government and believes in
the rule of a clerical autocracy, OF
which he is the supreme autocrat.
Nonetheless, with the French absent
owing to the ministerial crisis here
and the British paralyzed by Prime
Minister Ramsay MacDonald'S desire
to avoid irritating Hitler at any cost,
Mussolini's advisers had clear field.
Eugenio Morale, oStensibly cor
respondent of Mussolini's newspaper
II Popolo d'Italia, but actually Mus
solini's agent, decided that the time
had come to eliminate the Socialist
and install a Mussolinian rather than
Hitlerian dictatorship. Dollfuss
followed Morales advice and struck.
His blow was also aimed against
Czechoslovakia.
One Army Eliminated.
For there is no doubt but that just
rs the Italians have been arning and
financing the Heimwehr of Dollfuss,
30 Hitler has been arrntng and fnanc-
ing the Austrian Nazis and the Czechs
have been supporting the Socialist
EchutZbund, or private army. They
did not have to arm the Schutzbund
That had been done years ago by the
Austrian government itself. AS a re-
suit, Dollfuss has eliminated one of
the three Austrian private armies.
European opinion is almost unani-
NOUS that nothing can save Dollfuss'
new Austrian Fascism, but Mussolini's
big FasciSm. European opinion agrees
that, in the absence of Great Britain,
Mussolini must use force to stop Hit
1er. Or rather that he must be will
ing to use force. If willing, he then
probably will not have to.
Furthermore, he, Mussolini, must
take upon himself the responsibility
for what may happen should he de-
eide to send Bersaglieri and Alpini
over the Brenner Pass into Austria.
Many think that the Yugoslavs
would follow suit and seize the Aus
trian region as far north as Klagen-
furt, which they have always coveted.
Some say that in this case the Czechs
would march"
Would Germany remain passive?
Who can determine whether or not
new war would then be avoided?
The man who must by sheer force
OF his own policies answer these ques-
tions is Mussolini. The Italians have
consistently let hints drop to French,
British and American diplomats that
they are ready to take matters in
Austria in their own hands" There
Is no doubt that the Italian frontier
garrisons have been strengthened. But
the Germans are one people the Ital-
ians have always seriously feared.
Situation Better Year Ago.
Dare II Duce mortally offend his
one-tine disciple, Adolf, by thwarting
the German aims in Austria with
force?
A year ago the situation was easier
for Mussolini He then counted on
the lasting hostility between Hitler
and the Slavic countries of Poland
and Yugoslavia. He hoped to defend
Austrian independence, but, If it
were lost, to enter into kind of part
nership with Hitler whereby the Bal
kans would be divided into two zones
Of influence, German and Italian.
But Hitler made friends with the
Poles. Today Hitler has excellent
relations with the Yugoslavs, who ad-
mire his methods and do not oppose
an "anschluss," or union of Austria
and Germany. Mussolini's friendship
with Hitler was aimed at the French,
but also at the Yugoslavs. On February
9, at Athens, Yugoslavia, Rumania,
Greece and Turkey signed the So
I called Balkan pact whereby they COM
!, mitted themselves to the maintenance
OF the territorial status quo In the
: Balkans.
. But Mussolini for years has been
trying to effect change in the Balkan
status quo to Italy'S advantage. Against
:. this was an intimation of the pact
of the four countries, two of which,
the Yugoslavs and the Turks, are
among the toughest fighters the world
c contains, to mind his own business,
i, Mussolinis retreat to friendly work.
\ ing partnership with Hitler was cut
= OF. for on what basis would such a
partnership be based?
Therefore the "strong man of Eu-
Z rope" today faces highly disagreeable
choice. If, as is probable, Dollfuss
G will soon be threatened by Hitler,
Mussolini will have either to stop
{ Hitler by necessary measures and ac-
: cept the enmity of Nazi Germany. or
he will have to eat his big words and
enter an arrangement with Germany
which would virtually amount to
eerfdom.
> See nuce Weakening