The Washington times., 1934-02-19
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ulation from IS to 72 million
and give the German army
another IL army corps.
Third, because German pos
session Of Austria would en-
circle Czechoslovakia. 1t would
give Germany contact with
Italy and bring her within 100
miles of the Adriatic.
Path to Black Sea
It would give Germany con-
tact with Hungary and, en-
abling her to bring pressure on
Rumania, would promise for
the third Reich a path to the
Black Sea, and thence to all
the east, with fields for en-
pire vast enough to safe the
most imperial fancy.
Fourth, because it would eX-
pand the internal market OF
the Germans, bring some eco
nomic advantage, and divert
attention from the necessarily
slow progress of economic re-
covery in the Reich.
Fifth, because it would be the
first territorial change in the
peace treaties, would serve as
precedent for further exchanges.
and the mere bulk of a nation
of 72 million Nazi Germans
would exercise an increased at
tractiveness for the other eight
million Germans in Europe out
side the Reich. It would bring
the dream of PanGermany very
near realization.
Finally, because the possession
Of Austria would bring Erzberg
within the German borders.
Erzberg is named last, but II
is not least in the list Of reasons
why Germany wants Austria. Ger
many today must import three
quarters of her iron ore.
Took Away Ore
The Treaty Of Versailles took
away three:fourtns of her iron
ore deposits. When Germany lost
the iron fields of Alsace-Lorraine
and Luxembourg and, at least
temporarily, the Saar, she suf
fered the severeSt of all the blows
at her war making capacity.
At peace, Germany, as her 1927
record showed, can import enough
iron ore to satisfy the wartime
needs OF 1917. From Sweden
Spain, AlgierS, she can import all
she needs to prepare for anything
she likes.
She can lay in vast supplies OF
ore, as she is now doing under
long term contracts with Sweden.
But when war comes Germany
with no command of the seas, is
dependent on the ore within her
borders.
The German steel trust already
owns Erzberg. But Germany
wants ErZberg within her borders.
Climbs 5000 Feet
Not many visitors to Austria
take the trouble to explore this
Alpine factor in international
politics. The train leaves Vienna
at 10 o'clock in the evening and
at 2 o'clock in the morning
reaches Leoban.
There an excellent hotel, used
by the directors of the mighty
Alpine -Montan Gesellschaft, pres.
ent owners of Erzberg, provides a
bed until daybreak. At the crack
of a freezing dawn the mixed
train for Erzberg starts and with
half a dozen high-booted noun.
taineer passengers, puffs off for
a climb of three thousand feet.
The conductor said we would
never get there; an avalanche had
blocked the tracks. Punctually at
9:3O o'clock we confuted the de.
featist spirit Of the train crew
and pulled into Erzberg. Like
gnomes, we dived into the noun
tain, walked down a tunnel
through it's heart, and came out
on its massive breast.
A Perfect Stairway
There lay Erzberg, above and
below us, a perfect stairway to
take a giant in go steps of so feet
each from the bottom to the top
Out of the tip Of the mountain a
hundred cheops pyramids could
be built. Each step was brown, or
red, or yellow, and the top of each
was frosted. Behind the noun.
tain the blue Alpine sky glittered
fiercely in the cold sunshine
Each step has it's name. There
are Adam, and Eve. and Judas
and Paul and Joseph and Kuni'
gunde. Every miner knows the 60
steps as other men know street
names.
Rooans were the first to pick
at Erzberg. They picked a cen