"Mighty Friend"

Imperial pomp such as Austria has not known since the passing of hoary Emperor Franz Josef, reigned in Vienna for one night last week in his favorite Palace of Schoenbrunn. For the first time since the World War the historic gold-banded dinner service of the House of Habsburg gleamed on the banquet table in the Hall of Mirrors. Faded Habsburg livery was unpacked and donned by Austrian flunkies to wait upon the daughter of Europe's modern Caesar, Edda, Countess Ciano. Archdukes of the House of Habsburg came with Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, a devout Monarchist who would like to restore the Habsburgs with young Archduke Otto enthroned at Vienna as Emperor.

The banquet last week was given to celebrate the creation of another Empire, that which Italy has carved in Ethiopia. Countess Edda was accompanied by her husband, Il Duce's protege: the Italian Foreign Minister, Count Galeazzo Ciano. This amiable and rather plump young man has had difficulty in acquiring the mien of his father-in-law the Dictator, but has now learned to frown almost without visible effort. It was a proud moment when even the U. S., British and French ministers to Austria raised their wine glasses as Chancellor Schuschnigg proposed the toast to Mussolini's new Empire--even though these three diplomats set down their glasses without drinking.

Cried Chancellor Schuschnigg: "I wish His Excellency the Italian Foreign Minister to convey the best wishes of this gathering to His Majesty, the King of Italy and the Emperor of Ethiopia."

Cried Hungarian Foreign Minister kan-yai Kalman Kanya: "The Hungarian Regent, during his coming visit to Rome, personally will convey to His Majesty, King Vittorio Emanuele III, Hungarian recognition of the Roman Empire in Ethiopia."

Countess Edda's husband last month made a pact with Herr Hitler (TIME, Nov. 2) who effusively pressed upon him the supreme Nazi gift: a copy of Mein Kampf "from the hands of Der Fuehrer himself and with his so-gemuetlich autograph." Last week Count Ciano was doing Austria and Hungary. By themselves Austria and Hungary have been timid about breaking the post-War treaties intended to hog-tie them but last week, feeling they were under Dictator Mussolini's broad wing, they joyously slipped these bonds. In a joint Italian-Austrian-Hungarian communique the three Governments announced that "equality is the fundamental principle of justice," and construed this noble sentiment to mean that the clauses of the Treaty of St. Germain and of the Treaty of Trianon which limit Austria to an army of 30,000 and Hungary to 35,000 have now joined the fragment of the Treaty of Versailles which once limited Germany to an army of 100,000.

In return for Austrian and Hungarian recognition of the Ethiopian conquest, Count Ciano promised them a part in economic exploitation of the Empire. Il Duce was in a mood so generous that Austria was further compensated for the loss to her exporters inherent in Italy's devaluation of her currency (TIME, Oct. 12). Compensation was offered in the form of lowering Italian tariffs on items figuring largely in the exports of Austria.

Foreign Minister Kanya hustled off by a midnight train to make sure that Budapest would give Count and Countess Ciano the most superlative of welcomes. They slept most of the night in their private car in Vienna Station, then slid comfortably off to be greeted at Hungary's border by deafening peasant cheers, repeated at every station. Alighting at Budapest amid such a wild ovation as only emotional Hungarians can outpour, Countess Ciano kissed a small Budapest lass with Latin warmth and cried, "This kiss means Italy's love for all Hungarian girls!"

All the Hungarian capital's school children had been let out for the day and marshaled as a double Lane of Honor extending from the railway station to the Dunapalota Hotel. Through this the Cianos drove beneath banners reading "LONG LIVE MUSSOLINI! LONG LIVE HUNGARY'S MIGHTY FRIEND!" At the Parliament Building only Hungarian Socialist Deputies, who can never forget that Fascism's founder was once Italy's fieriest Socialist, absented themselves but other Deputies and Cabinet Ministers cheered like whooping schoolboys. When Count Ciano appeared in the Diplomatic Box, he was addressed from the rostrum by Speaker Dr. Alexander Sztranyavszky, asked to convey the best wishes of the Hungarian Parliament "to Italy's Heaven-sent Leader!"

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