Italy Baited

The Austrian Parliament resounded last week with furious criticisms of the Italian Administration of Lower Tyrol. This province, which Italians call the Higher Adige, was transferred by post-War treaties from Austria-Hungary to Italy. Last week in the Austrian Parliament deputies Kold and Abrams of Higher Tyrol, which is still Austrian, luridly described the sufferings of Lower Tyrolese under Il Duce's regime of impetuous Italianization.

Cried Deputy Abrams "beautiful women are incarcerated without cause in the prisons [of Lower Tyrol] and are released only when they have surrendered their chastity to brutal [Italian] jailers!" Deputy Kold revamped in detail the familiar fact that Italianization of the Lower Tyrol (or Higher Adige) has been ruthlessly carried out, even to the extent of altering from German into Italian the very names of streets and the lettering on tableware in formerly Austrian hotels.

These charges are familiar, but what gave them weight last week was a statement by Chancellor of Austria Monsignor Ignaz Seipel. He rose in the Austrian Parliament and declared "The treatment of the Lower Tyroleans is in our opinion incompatible with minority rights, and is a hindrance to further amicable relations between Austria and Italy, which are very desirable." To explain and excuse the Austrian Parliament's outspoken criticism of Italian Administration of the Lower Tyrol, Chancellor Seipel shrewdly added "the Italian Government must realize that there is quite a difference between interference in another nation's domestic affairs and expressing disapproval of those affairs."

Result: The Italian Minister at Vienna, Signor Giacinto Auriti immediately left for Rome to inform Il Duce of precisely what had occurred. Rumor visioned a diplomatic break between Italy and Austria, but more likely loomed the prospect that Il Duce would administer to Austria a tongue lashing similar to that which he indulged in against Germany when Foreign Minister Doktor Gustav Stresemann flayed the Italianization of Lower Tyrol.

The expected counter blast from Signor Mussolini was anticipated last week by the authoritative Giornale D'ltalia of Rome which described Chancellor Seipel's speech as "insincere," and asserted that the Higher Adige is governed "with the same regime and the same application of rights and duties as those prevailing in all other Italian provinces."