Evening star., 1934-02-18

this thorny problem should be thrown
into its midst.
To put it bluntly, the League is
panic-stricken at the thought Of hav-
ing another Manchuria on its hands
at a time when its stock stands lower
than ever before and when il is strug-
Cling to underpin its tottering struc-
ture. Above all, it wants to win back
Germany to its counsels, and nothing
could be less helpful in that direction
than to stick its finger into the
Austro- German pie.
And the plain fact is that interven-
ton could achieve nothing practical.
Just as Stalin's reply to complaints
of Russian Communist propaganda
in other countries is that he cannot
control the activities of the Third In
ternationale, so Hitler can say that he
is not responsible for what the Nazis
of Austria choose to do in Austria.
And though the economic starvation
of Austria is largely attributable to
his action, the League cannot very
well interpose in what is on the face
Of it German domestic policy.
The position of the League in the
matter is in fact very questionable,
and, apart from Franee-which at
the moment has her hands full with
her own internal convulsions-none
of the powers is anxious to NEEDLE in
the business. Great Britain wants,
more than everything else, to avoid
another setback to the League, and
Signor Mussolini has no passion for
doing through the League what can
be done outside the League.
Moreover, I have reason to believe
that Poland is definitely unfriendly
to Dollfuss' idea of seeking the aid Of
the League in his troubles. This is
not surprising in view of the recently
signed German-Polish pact. French
opinion has not unnaturally assumed
that behind that pact is an under
standing that Poland will disintereSt
herself in Austria, and well-informed
opinion in touch with Germany takes
the same view In a word, Hitler has
bought of Poland In order to play his
cards more effectively in Austria. So
the agitation in Germany over the
Danzig Corridor is stopped, Polish
anxieties are set at rest and so far as
that country Is concerned the Ger
man-Austrian question is off the map.
Hitler may 90 ahead without worry
ing about his Polish flank. And it
looks as though the Austrian plum
will fall to him without any ostenta-
eIa 10 hTanrhPS
has given new assurances against Ger
man aggression in Austria, but the
work is being done for him within,
Dollfuss is fighting a losing battle
against the Austrian Nazis and his
perplexities are increased by the
strong position into which Prince
Starhemberg, his Fascist supporter,
has been thrown by this weeks events.
Starhemberg demands the suppression
not only of the Socialists but of the
Clerical party, which is Dollfuss' own
political organization. Unsupported
from without and torn by dissensions
within, it is difficult to see how the
chancellor can survive.
And If the Austrian Nazis win,
Hitler's dream of a German bloc will
U6 dCCOIIlpl1OIlCO WAOAAOdb GIL ONOAO
breach of the Versailles treaty. That
will be only beginning, Nazi-ism
is hardly less rife in Hungary than
it is in Austria, and with the swastika
waving over Vienna, there Is a strong
probability that it would not be long
before it was over Budapest also.
Whether that would end the march
of German influence to the South
east of Europe largely depends upon
what comes out of the newly signed
pact among the Balkan countries.
Meanwhile, Hitler has every reason
to be satisfied with the shape events
are taking. If Austria falls to him,
actually If not technically. he will
have achieved what his predecessors
had agitated for fourteen years with
out succeeding in bringing it within
the most distant prospect Of accom-
plishment.
copyright. 1o24)