THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 14, 1938.
THE BACKGROUND OF THE TRAGEDY
OF CENTRAL EUROPE
Revelations by an Austrian diplomat, based on unpublished documents and on the personal evidence of the actors directly concerned in the drama
I..
BARON VON NEURATH'S CONFIDENCES.
The methods employed by the Wilhelmstrasse and by the Brown House.
Bismarck's tradition and
Hitler's dynamism
EVERYTHING would seem
to
have been said on the subject of the end of Austria, but, in real- ity, very little is known of this event, capital in the history of the world, of which Europe is now suf- fering from the first and inevitable repercussions.
Would it have still been possible, immediately after the Berchtesga- den interview"between the Fuehrer
sefisation:
+
By Dr. Martin Fuchs
Dr. Martin Fuchs, the friend and the close collaborator of the Chancellors Dollfuss and Schuschnigg, has performed important di- plomatic duties for more than ten years. Of an old family of Aus- trian civil servants, he was entrusted with various official or semi- official missions, and formed part of the Austrian delegations to se- veral international conferences. In particular, he accompanied Chan- cellor Schuschnigg and Mr. Guido Schmidt, Austrian Foreign Minis- ter, on their official journeys to Rome, to Rocca delle Caminate; to Venice, to Budapest, Paris and Geneva. Witness of the numerous- conversations between the statesment and the diplomate of Central Europe at the Ballhausplatz, in 1936 and 1987, he is in possession of absolutely authentic and unpublished documents, the contents of which cast an entirely new light on the dramatic events of the past year. He also entertains close relations with Archduke Otto of Hap sburg, heir to the Throne, who played during Austria's last days of independence a role entirely unknown up to the present. At the mo- ment of the annexation of Austria by Germany, Mr. Fuchs was. at the head of the press department of the Austrian Legation in Paris, and was thus able to save the greater part of his documents.
The series of articles of which we are publishing the first to-day are certain to cause a considérable sensation, not only in the wider public, but also in diplomatic and political circles, owing the extra- ordinary revelations they contain with regard to the great actors of the drama through which we have passed..
:
his mind. Austria offered an ex- cellent opportunity for experiment- ing with the Wooden Horse princi- ple, cherished and consistently ap- plied by the National Socialists, by creating organized nuclei within the territory of the adversary. This -principle had become the favourite method of his newest and youngest collaborator (the Minister ironical- ly emphasized this word), the Se- cretary of State, Bohle. This me- thod might also be applied in other countries which, when thoroughly .organized, would become kindly disposed towards National Social- ism. But this, in the future, would give rise to unpleasant reactions.
In the case of Austria, he doubt- ed whether any good would come of this method. The Minister was aware of the plans for a forceful assumption of office by the Austrian National Socialists after the thority of the Vienna Government
.
au-
and Schuschhigg, to maintain the POWER RESERVES OF CENTRAL the part of the other Powers, reac had been sufficiently undermined. independence of Austria and to AND SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE; tions which might lead to serious In view of the political tension pre- preserve peace at a lower cost than SO LONG AS WE ARE NOT AB- failure. The Minister had been vailing in Austria, this could but to-day?
Was Germany, in March SOLUTELY CERTAIN OF ITALY; warned, for instance, that England lead to an Austrian June 30th or 1938 and September really deter- SO LONG AS WE CANNOT EX- and France were displaying great something worse still. It was be- mined to go to war?
PECT ON THE PART OF PO-activity in Rumania. They had ing said in the leading National The best answer to these ques- LAND AT LEAST A FRIENDLY threatened King Carol with the Socialist circles that the unity of tions lies probably in the revela- NEUTRALITY AND RESOLUTE immediate application of certain the Reich would only be perfect tion of certain abolutely unknown OPPOSITION TO THE PASSAGE measures, unless the pro-German when the Vienna Jews and Austrian facts; of circumstances which cang OF THE RUSSIAN TROOPS, WE cabinet Goga were made to resign; priests would have been interned in not fail to produce a considerable CANNOT RISK A WAR.” These and King Carol had capitulated. It the concentration camp of Dachau. are the words of Von Blomberg would not be new to his interview- The rash conclusion of certain Actors in a great international during a conversation which took er to learn that the Minister had members of the Wilhelmstrasse- drama are not in the habit of re- place towards the end of December several times endeavoured to orien- once we have Austria, Hungary will
ealing their innermost thoughts, 1997.
tate the foreign policy of his coun eat out of our hand-also appeared at any ráte so long as they hold the Baron von Neurath, who at that try in a different direction; but he to the Minister to be radically false. reits of office. Only many years time was less reserved in his state- had the impression that his words The application of this method, in later, by the hasard of the publica- ments and had lost much of usual carried less weight than formerly. the Danube basin,would be unsuc- tion of the secret files of this or good humour, was also pessimis-His opinions had on several occa- cessful in the case of Hungary. The that Chancellery, is the truth tic in his Interviews with his sions been disregarded, since there use of too sudden and too violent brought to the knowledge of the friends. According to him, those were people in the Foreign Office methods might have unfortunate wider public, the real story of National Socialist leaders, who un- who were merely preparted to do results for the Reich even after the events which have been decisive fortunately enjoyed Hitler's conf- as they were told.
perhaps temporary disappearance for war of peace, and which, with- dence; also in matters of foreign The minister here referred to of Austria from the map. If it out discussion, have changed the policy, underestimated the force of his own son in law, Secretary of were essential to reach agreement face of the world...
resistance and' the increasing hos- State Von: Mackensen, son of the with England, no too brutal me- But sometimes, these great ac- tility; of the other Powers. The celebrated Field Marshal, who had thods must be applied to Hungary. tors, when bélieving themselves methods of the Brown House were been recalled from Budapest at the At the Brown House in Munich, safe from the professional curios- really too simple to be lastingly ap- advice of Von Ribbentrop and had there were already hopes of es- ity of the press, let themselves go plied. The world and above all been appointed to the Wilhelm- tablishing the Reich's overlordship to confidences, one might say, real Europe were watching things more strasse, because he was regarded over the whole Danube and the Bal- confessions to their friends, their attentively than one or two years as capable of carrying out the kans. ·· ̈Bụt such": a notion was an close collaborators, ministers or ago. Hitler had been compelled to wishes of the party in the old diplo- admission of complete ignorance diplomats of a friendly, or allied appreciate the reports of his gener- matic and aristocratic circles. of the new policy of realism pur- Power.
als. He, no more than any one Bar von Neurath" then spoke of sued by the States of South Eastern
*
As
Thus it is that Chancellor Schus- else, wanted war. But since, on Austria. He thought that he shar- Europe as a result of the constitu- chnigg, shut up since March 13th, the other, Germany had no econo-ed the ideas of the Reichswehr, in tion of the Rome-Berlin axis. 1938, in a tiny room in a Vienna mie concession to offer that could maintaining in respect of his coun a matter of fact these countries de- hotel, had received from. Mussolini, attract the other Powers, in parti try the traditional policy of Bis- pended much less on Germany than Clano, Baron von Neurath, Benes cular, Great Britain and the United marck, that is, In leaving it to in- on their own economic system. It and many others inforniation of States, and induce them to make dependence but in placing it in a was, he said, clear that the Reich extreme importance concerning political concessions, the only position of to complete vassality, had played the wrong card both in their actions or their plans, their method that could be resorted to This policy had achieved a large its campaign against the indepen intentions. Some of this informa- was that hitherto applied-Bluff, measure of success since 1868 and dence of the Danubian States and tion was consigned in the diploma- But this method would only suc- in the days of the Triple Alliance. In its undecided attitude with re- tic reports of the Vienna Govern- reed as long as the others had not The tiny Austrian State of the pre- gard to England. It was not suf ment; another part was communi- discovered the rules of the game; sent day seemed to him to be na- ficient to agitate the spectre of cated by the Chancellor and faith- this discovery would be made on turally cast for the role of the Bolshevism. The intrigues pur- fully transcribed later by some of the day that the Reich, encounter- "brilliant second" to the Reich. In suedin certain · Balkan States his collaborators. Schuschulgg's ing serious opposition, would be his opinion, extremely close politi- should not funderestimated. voice can no longer be heard. But obliged to lower his flag.
cal, military and economic co-oper England and France had still many part of the material in question
ation with Austria was much pres trumps in their hands. ferable to Anschluss based on
had already been transported to a
safe place abroad at the moment I.
was certain that the national violence, which might or might
Pressure
of the invasion of AustriaAby, the socialist foreign policy had still you be successful and would deepessful, the National: Socialist a certain, extant, and if suc- German troops, and one witness, great chances of success, in partily indispose a large section of the at least, of these confidence,, is still
cular as far as the smaller States
penetration of the German regions Hvingy notwithstanding the constant nur
were concerned; these were al population.
of the Sudates, and the isolation of investigations made by the Ges- rendy feeling the
Czechoslovakia, in her, foreign po- tapo.
the German
UT the party leaders were of a lícy were objectives, that raight be and had come to:Baifferent opinion on the sub- sustained. But this depend depend upon the German economie ject. Goering himself, who had ed upon the good will of England SLAID OUR HANDS ON THE structure the cole, good But a policy of pree-also supported the Biomargidan tra to leave Germany & free hand in RAW MATERIAL AND ** MAN- ably produce. In time, reactions on appeared to have recently changed
(Continued on Page 8)
AS WE HAVE
ment