Evening star., 1938-02-27
Austrian Freedom Sacrificed
By Duce in Deal With Hitler
Germanizing of Danubian Basin Declared Fuehr.
er's Compensation for Supporting Mussolini's
Recreation of Roman Empire.

Now the internal organization Of Ger
many has been completed; the army. the
navy and the air force are regarded az
models Of efficiency; the economic re-
organization is progressing satisfactorily:
the countries In the Danubian Basin, rich
IN raw materials, are lined up behind the
Reich ready to swap their enormous sur.
pluses OF food and oil for German manu-.
factured products. Hitler is ready to put
into effect the second part of his plan-the
unification OF Central and Eastern Europe
under the Swastika
Schuschnigg Got Orders.
With Mussolini's consent to On ahead
the Reichsfuehrer sent for Schuschnigp.
The Austrian chancellor called up Musso-
lini. seeking encouragement to decline the
invitation" but was advised to 20 and
see Hitler He went and returned to
Vienna with his orders in his pocket The
orders were to assign five key positions in
his cabinet to the Nazis. He himself was
to resign as soon as he could gracefully
do 50.
Before making these arrangements pub
lie, Schuschnigg called Mussolini once
more to tell him what he had obtained"
at Berchtesgaden. II Duce is reported to
have replied curtly: II know" And thus
ended Austrias independence.
London and Paris adopted the WELL
known ostrich policy. M. Delbos and Mr..
Eden turned to Italy as soon as the news
reached them and said: What are YOU
going to do about it? We have the Stresa
agreement under which the three of us
guaranteed. Austria's independence" To
which Mussolini replied, unoficially: "Yes,
by the same agreement you approved my
conquest Of Ethiopia and look what has
happened to it." Officially he replied that
there had been no invasion threatening
Austria's independence. What was hap.
pentng in the republic was a purely inter-
nal affair. Schuschnigg deemed it ad-
vlsable, for the benefit of his country, to
change few of his cabinet members and
replace them by men he believed to be
better fitted for the jobs The French and
British diplomats unearthed a sudden In.
terest in Italys well-being Don't YOU see."
they told Mussolini, that you stand to
lose good deal if you allow Hitler to
dominate Central and Southeastern Europe?
What will happen to you?" Mussolini
thanked them for their kind interest and
cynically limited that he might fined
compensations for his European losses
elsewhere"
Chamberlain Policy Realistic.
The resignation Of Foreign Secretary
Eden marks the end of London's empty
Representations and protests" There is
reason to believe that Hitlers coup came
as no surprise to Prime Minister Cham
berlain. who had been apprised Of its i'm
mlnence since Lord Halifaxs visit to Ber-
lin. Mr.. Chamberlain is determined to
follow realistic policy. He has no hope
OF cowing Mussolini. Faced with the al
tentative of II Duce's friendship or enmity,
the hard-boiled British premier is choos-
ing friendship and will pay the price de-
manded. He is ready to recognize the
obvious-that Italy has conquered Ethiopia.
He is willing to recognize Franco and has
already given his unavowed blessings to
Hitler's "Drang mach Osten" (movement
toward the East). He does not wish to
leave single stone unturned to prevent
Britain from being involved in an un-
profitable war. And he sincerely believes
that the new set-up in Central and Eastern
Europe is more likely to preserve peace in
Berlin axis
It is in the cards. matter Of mere
months-that Czechoslovakia will have to
follow Austria. The danger of a war be-
tween the Central European republic and
the Reich is no longer acute. Shrewd OBJ
servers predict reshufiing Of the Prague
ministry. President Benes may have to
resign. to be replaced by q more neutral
head Of state. The cabinet will contain,
among others, Herr Henlein, the leader of
the 100000 Sudeten Germans whose fate
Is the bone Of contention between Germany
and Czechoslovakia. The Berlin govern
ment will no longer demand, 1t is said, that
vamped to provide cantonal government
II the leaders of the Sudeten Germans are
given preponderant roles in neutral"
cabinet which will Immediately dissolve the
Russian-C n-C7echoslovakian military alliance.
Czechoslovakias resistance to German
penetration has been based on the under
standing that the French armies and air
fleets would come to her assistance Since
this now appears remote possibility. the
Czechoslovak leaders, jealous as they are
of their independence, welded as they are
to the democratic ideal, will refuse to lead
the country to political suicide"
The Nazification Of Austria is Of itself
small matter, but its historical conse-
quences will be great. The abdication of
Schuschnigg will remain . milestone In
the history Of the world.
(Copyright, 1889