Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-12-03
The Yanks in Europe
IV-Austria

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Austria lies at the center of Europe.
Vienna, its music-loving capital with
nearly two million people, ranks sixth
among the continents cities, by virtue
of it's position as the hub of rail, high
way and water routes to every corner of
Europe.
This central position has brought
many wars and occasional wealth and
power to Austria. Since 1914, however,
it has brought little but wars desola-
ton, political and economic adversely.
No other European country was so
carved up by the treaties that followed
World War I as was the near-mighty
empire called Austria Hungary. Over
run by Napoleon in 1875 and 1909, Aus
tria- Hungary shaped its fortunes to be-
come with Germany and italy, part OF
Central Europe's Triple Alliance in
1882. 1t was a patchwork empire of
more than a dozen nationalities with an
area matching Texas and with $1,000
900 subjects. 1t included Bohemia,
Moravia, Galicia, Bucovina, Transyl-
vania, Bosnia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Istria,
the entire Tyrol-states and areas that
completely buffeted Austria and Hun
gary.
Sarajevo Scene of Crisis
At Sarajevo in Bosnia, just within the
southernmost corner of that empire,
came its crisis on June g. 1914, when
Serbian nationalists ignited the Euro
pean finder box by asSassinating the
heir to the empires crown. Four and
half years later Austria was a federal
republic the size of Maine (one-eighth
the size Of Texas with less than seven
million people. Chunks Of the former
empire had gone to create new states
and to enlarge old ones-Poland, Czecho-
slovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia and Italy.
Austria had been reduced to its Ger
man-speaking core.
This German-speaking core, set up
as an independent state in 1918 but
reduced to province of the Nazi Reich
In 1888. can be envisioned on the map
as a much nibbled pear On the west
1t adjoins Switzerland and tiny Liech-
tenstein, and Lake Constance is its stem
On the east in Hungary, and Vienna is
It's blossom end. Yugoslavia and Italy
border on the south, Czechoslovakia on
the north and east, Germany on the
north.
Under Versailles Treaty
Austria of the Treaty of Versailles,
hardly more than Vienna and environs
compared with the pre- 1914 empire, had
limited natural resources and no sea
coast. Fourth-fifths mountainous, with
Alpine ridges running eastward right TO
the outskirts OF Vienna, it has beauty
like Switzerlands that has made tourist
entertainment major industry in all
seasons. Well engineered highways and
electrified rail lines enabled sedentary
tourists to see nearly all the grandeur.
Footpaths, ski lifts, cable cars and
mountain cascades were routes for the
the l000O-foot peaks.
Maize, wheat and grapes are grown
intensively in the limited fat land of
the Danube River basin and the east
ern border adjoining the plains OF
Hungary. Grains, fruit and hops are
grown in high mountain valleys on
the slopes livestock Craze. Timber is
cut in mountain forests to supply an
important export trade.
Peacetime visitors to Austria found
everywhere in the rugged countryside
an abundance OF color. Nature provided
1t in snow-capped peaks changing with
shifting sun and clouds, in varying