Brave Gesture

Tough little Chancellor Leopold Figl maneuvered so skillfully that even Austria's Communists backed his gesture of defiance to Russia.

Silently, seriously, Austria's Parliament met in its badly bombed white building near what was lately called the Adolf Hitler Platz. Representatives of one of the weakest nations in Europe, they nevertheless held their ground while Figl read to them what amounted to a Russian attempt to dictate Austrian legislation. The Parliament had before it Figl's bill to nationalize 81 industries, amounting to 50% of the country's production. The Russian note asked for 25 exceptions on the ground that they were "German assets" and therefore could be seized by Russia under the Potsdam agreement. The exceptions included the Zistersdorf oilfields, the Danube Shipping Company and almost all of Austria's chemical industry.

Figl made it clear that he was unimpressed by mighty Russia's note. Parliament recessed to give the delegates a chance to think it over. Within 15 minutes the delegates returned, voted unanimously for Figl's bill.

The nationalization issue had forced Austrian parties into unusual positions. Chancellor Figl's own Catholic People's Party, suspected of being cool toward nationalization, warmed to it markedly when it seemed the most direct way of opposing Russian penetration. The Communists, having loudly called for drastic nationalization measures, did not dare back down even under the threat of fierce Russian displeasure.

Brave as the gesture was, it was only a gesture. Austria's parliamentarians could not really nationalize Russian-held industries; indeed, the Red Army would not even permit Austrian officials to visit Zistersdorf.

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