The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-11-27
A u S tria
~ ANNE o,HARE MCCORMICK

v1ENNA.-It is necessary to 60 east Of Ger.
many to measure the effects Of its collapse on
the states accustomed to live under the
shadow of German power. There is no ques-
ton in the mind of these countries that Ger
MANY is finished for many years to come as
nolitical and economic force. For the first
time in modern history 'tMittel Europa" does
not center in Berlin. It is strange experience
to come back to this part Of the world and
| find Germany's eastern neighbors talking as
| if the Reich no longer existed.
| AS this is written an odd sort Of political
rally is being held in the empty square sur
rounding the ruins of the Opera House. loud
speaker is broadcasting a program OF typical
Viennese music-tenor choruses from Strauss
operettas, Austrian folk songs, snatches Of
| symphonies played by string orchestra To
this accompaniment of strong voices, candi-
date is making a political speech which he
delivers paragraph by paragraph between mu-
steal numbers.
To the well-fed outsider these pleasantly in
terrupted speeches are interesting because
they ignore Germany. A few months ago this
country was "Ostmark.' the most submerged
part of the great Reich For thirty years it's
policy was shaped by fear OF, or attraction to-,
Germany. Now it echoes with oratorical evo-
cations of new Austria. When the leaders
of the three parties proposing to re-create an
independent nation are asked regarding fu-
ture relations with the former master they
treat the question as if it had no actually
Chancellor Renner says he does not see how
Germany can live at all, much less become an
active factor in European politics. For the
present it is out Of the picture he remarks,
and then goes on to develope his favorite
theme that Austria is a turntable around
which the currents of Europe revo1ve and mix
After the last war the avowed Pan-German
Renner, comes out Of this war keener than
anyone to detach his country completely from
the German wreck. This is significant because
he is as canny politician as the postwar
over-turn has produced He typlfles the Aus
trian revulsion against nazism.
Whether or not his party wins majority
in Sundays election. Renner is pretty sure to
be the first President of a newborn republic
The assembly cannot function as an in
dependent Parliament while occupation forces
remain. Nor will it be true reflection of the
national mind while majority Of the young
men are prisoners of war in Russia, England
and France and while nearly 30 per cent of
the remaining voters are disfranchised as
ed Government in many years it will never
theless be long step toward representative
rule.
But return to representative government
is not the first concern even Of those few
Austrians who are interested in politics Their
concern is survival Austria is pretty thor :
oughly stripped already and may lose all her
industrial plants before the Russians finish
collecting reparationS.
Despite all their miseries and grievances,
However, the Austrians believe that their poef-
ton after this war is better than it was in
1913 This belief presupposes three things The
first is that htey can retain control Of their
oil wells which constitute their westernmost
reserve in Europe and have capacity second
only to that of Rumania. Disappointing Aus
trlan hopes Of securing some oil for heating
this winter Russia is now piping off the full
production and the Renner government, while
helpless to prevent hits has rejected a Soviet
proposal or a ffty-ffty division of control and
output.
The second assumption is that Austria can
reduce the outflow Of German assets,' by
countercla1ms for restitution Of goods stolen by
the Germans including substantial gold re-
serve.
The third is that large part of the south
Tyrol can be recovered from Italy
But what changes Austria's position most
declslvely is the prostration of Germany, At
present German productive capacity is insult
fcient to supply the needs of the occupying
armies Austrian political leaders do not be-
ieve this capacity will or can be curbed as
drastlcally as planned. They have seen how
differently the Potsdam directives arc inter-
preted in the four zones of their own country.
They have not yet thought far enough ahead
TO weigh long-term consequences of GERMAN
1mpoverlshment on European economy as
a whole. They see only that Austria and
Czechoslovakia are the only two countries in
this area with manufacturing experience and
skilled labor to profit by German de-industrial-
ization.
Her own fate is so much less catastrophe
than Germanys that Austrians regard it with
certain grim philosophy "Our only saliva
tlon' they tell you, clay in the defeat of
Germany Hitler's aim was to submerge and
destroy us and if he had won we would have
disappeared forever as a nation''
AS is they think they have chance to
i've. They are not afraid of subjugation by
Russia. While the great powers do not openly
disagree, they feel sure of peace and a modi-
cum OF independence. But they wonder how
and on what terms they are to live if Ger
many's neighbors are weakened instead of
strengthened. Don't let us change a Gordon
sanltalre for Gordon insanitaire, remarks
an Austrian friend who has come out of two
concentration camps with a slightly soured
sense Of humor-New York Times
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