Evening star., 1939-11-17
Austrian Woman
Says Schuschnigg
Spurned Escape
Wanted Same Fate
As His Friends,
Writer Told
Ninth OF a Series.)
By WILLIAM L. WHITE.


ROME, italy. (Via AirmaiD She
- was a very jolly old woman some
where in her sixties, the kind who
wears a highneck dress which has
seen better days, with gold watch
pinned to it's black bodice; and stays
in middle class boarding houses
which are inexpensive and very
respectable with artificial flowers
made out of feathers protected by
glass bells on the mantle.
so you are going to Berlin?"
she asked in German.
Yes" answered.
Are you for the regime or against
the regime?" She was looking at
me sharply. So looked at the
salt shaker.
"I have no opinion on the re-
gime," said. II am going to Ber-
lin as a newspaper man."
But they tell me that in Ameri-
ca opinions about the regime are
very strong" she continued. II
thought you would have one"
Like all Americans I am very
strong for liberty and democracy in
my own country"
That is good" she said.
But Germany is another
country, and its government is no
affair of mine"
"Ja," she said.
"You are German?" I asked.
"But no." she answered with con-
siderable warmth.
Says She Is Austrian.
"Then what are you, may I ask?"
II am Austrian" she said proudly.
"Of course in these days I must
have German passport. But am
Austrian"
In America there was story
that the regime is keeping your
former Austrian Chancellor Schusch-
nigg prisoner in a hotel, and every
day they, beat him because he will
not sign statement asking Aus
trians to support this war"
'Yes, have also heard this was
printed in the American papers,
but, if you pardon me, do not
believe"
WHY!
Because Hitler considers himself
as master of all Austria. To ask
Schuschnigg for support would be
to admit weakness, which Hitler
would never do. He thinks OF
Schuschnigg as nothing. This he
would never ask"
II see."
But the rest of the story is true
I think. That they kept Schusch-
nigg prisoner in the Metropole Hotel
in Vienna is true, although now
no one knows where he is for sure.
That they beat him is probably
true. 1t is sure that he will never
come out sane in mind.
I'm America we considered
Schuschnigg very brave man."
Told to Let Him Escape.
"When the Prussians came in,
they gave orders to let SchuSchnigg
escape. AL the frontier guards were
told, we hear, to let him 60 into
Switzerland If he liked. But he
would not 60. Whatever happened
to his friends he wanted also to
happen to him. That is what We
hear in Austria"
HE must be a very, very brave
man."
80 we know in Austria, too.
But" and here she smiled-"you
must not write for your American
papers that I say think Schusch-
nigg is brave, because then the Ger
man police in Austria will take me
and shoot me-" But there was not
a trace of fear in the brave laugh
of the dear old lady as she put her
napkin into its ring at the pension
table.
Only maybe she was not old and
maybe she was not in pension and
maybe she was even lady, and
maybe all this was lisped tenderly
Into my ear in the middle of the
grand ballroom of the Hotel Excel
sioi by an old man with a long
white beard with whom I happened
70 be waltzing.
In America the cops have never
helped or hindered me in my work,
30 I have never helped or hindered
them in theirs, and think this is
q sensible rule to follow in any
country.