Union?

Vienna was agog last week when the German Chancellor, Dr. Wilhelm Marx, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Gustav Stresemann, arrived to return the official visit made a year ago to Berlin by the then Austrian Chancellor, Dr. Rudolph Ramek.

The distinguished visitors were met at the station by the leaders of the Austrian governmental hierarchy. A state luncheon followed, at which the German statesmen were formally introduced to Dr. Michael Hainisch, President of the Austrian Republic. In the evening the Chancellor, Dr. Ignaz Seipel, opened the old Imperial Foreign Office, also known as the Ballplatz, for an official reception.

Although the official reason for the visit was that of returning Chancellor Ramek's call, and though it was admitted that the secondary object of the visit was to secure Vienna as an ally at Geneva, it was nevertheless mooted that the real objects were to discuss the anschluss (or union of Austria and Germany) and a preliminary economic entente. Despite denials that these subjects were not broached, it was pointed out that two such distinguished German statesmen, overburdened by the pressure of work, would not make the journey to Vienna for the simple object of discussing a mutual League policy. The denials were therefore classified as ordinary diplomatic white lies.

However, it was reported that Dr. Stresemann complained of Austrian obstruction at Geneva. Particular dissatisfaction was voiced with Count Mensdorff-Pouilly, the Austrian League representative and Autro-Hungarian Ambassador to the Court of St. James's until the War. He, a distant relative of King George, was accused of being too pro-British and of having refused to accept the German viewpoint in several important issues. Dr. Stresemann plainly wanted to know if it were not possible for Austria and Germany to pull together in the League--no doubt with the idea of pushing the anschluss through, "when the time is ripe."

What the Austrian Chancellor's attitude was to this proposal was not divulged, but an idea of it may be gleaned from the rumor, emanating from official circles, that Count Mensdorff-Pouilly will soon resign and be replaced by a prominent Pan-German, i. e., one who favors the anschluss.