Evening star., 1939-07-06
Reich Repatriation
Of Germans in 1yroI
Removes Danger Spot
Migration Aftermath Of
HitIer's Waiver Of
Claims to People
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE.

NEW YORK, July 6.-Repatr1a-
ton of some 100000 former Austrian
subjects who were taken over by
Italy when that country annexed
Austria's Southern Tyrol at the end
of the World War will tend to re-
move what has been a grave danger
spot to Italo-German relations.
Bitterness between the Germanic
Tyrolese and their new rulers has
run deep ever since the war. And
as long ago as 1885 Herr Hitler. who
made himself champion of German
minorities, toop a hand in support
of this So-called minority, which
actually claimed a majority in it's
own district.
When the Nazi chieftain made
known his intention to reincorporate
in the Reich German peoples on his
borders, many of the Tyrolese
jumped to the conclusion that they
would be included in the sweep.
Rome, too, speculated uneasily over
the possibility that Germany would
try to annex the South Tyrol, espe-
cially after the annexation of Aus
tria.
Situation EaSed by Hitler.
The situation, so far as the Berlin
Rome axis was concerned, was vastly
eased a year ago during Hitlers
visit to Rome. He then foreSWore
all claims to the South Tyrol.
That went long way to remove
italian uneasiness, but there still
remained the problem of dealing
with the Germans in the Tyrol and
they were a decided handful.
For nearly 20 years Rome's at
temptS to Italianize this district has
been met by stubborn refusals of CO.
operation. Non-co-o operation is
pretty strong weapon, as Gandhi,
1ndla's powerful spiritual and ma
tionalist leader. has demonstrated
in his battles with the government.
Then Messrs. Hitler and Musso-
hnl got together and agreed to
plan whereby Germans in the South
Tyrol would be transferred to the
Reich. Mussolini waived any claims
Italy might have to citizenship on
these people and they were to be
permitted to decide whether they
wanted to remain in the Tyrol or
go home" Italy also undertook
to give the emigrants financial aid.
German Claims Unlikely.
This looked like solution of the
long-standing difficulty providing
it were made effective. The big
feature from the Italian standpoint
was that with the elimination of
the Germans from the Tyrol, the
Nazis would be unlikely to make
territorial claims in this region.
Implementation of the agreement
is under way. Several thousand
Germans already have gone into
German territory, and presumably
the rest of the ,OOO-or as many
as wish twill follow as fast as it
is possible to move such a great
colony.
Quite apart from the political ap-
peasement, the transfer of these
people, and their settlement in new
homes, will provide an interesting
and valuable study to other states
which are faced with problems of
this nature.
Many observers and statesmen
have been inclined to regard this
Italo-German arrangement as an
indication that international differ
ences still are susceptible to adjust
ment by negotiation-provided all
parties concerned are prepared to
give as we'll as take.
Children Forced to Use Italian.
In this instance the background
for negotiation was about as un-
favorable as one could imagine. The
Tyrol Germans charged that the
efforts at Inflammation were so
sweeping as to forbid, for example,
German kindergarten students to
speak the language of their parents,
but to compel them to use Italian,
of which they were ignorant. 1t was
further asserted that all German
street signs were ordered replaced
by Italian, and even the use of Ger
man marks on hotel linen were for
bidden.
1t was only four years ago that
there was bitter fight between the
Berlin and Rome press, when the
Germans alleged that many persons
had been shot in the italian Tyrol.
The Italians vigorously denied the
employment of repressive measures
against the Germans Still, it was
natural that the bitterness between
the two peoples should continue to
grow under the circumstances.
Now it would appear that the Ger
man minority will once more be
under German rule. Signor Musso-
lini will keep the South Tyrol, and
Herr Hitler will have made good his
promise as champion of his folk.