"Mortal Stab"

Stertorian grunts of wrath and the banging of doubled fists on tiny cafe tables disturbed a balmy Vienna afternoon, last week, as excitable Austrians forgot their tall foaming glasses of amber beer and devoured lurid headlines.

MORTAL STAB TO AUSTRIA!! screamed virtually every newspaper in Vienna, except the Reichspost, circumspect Roman Catholic organ of tall, stern, stoop-shouldered, beak-nosed Monsignor Ignaz Seipel, Chancellor of Austria.

The headlines topped reports of a furious oration by Pan-German Deputy Deutsch: "Austrians!! Today the Italians have erected at Bolzano, overlooking our frontier, a monument and an inscription which reads: Here Are The Frontiers Of Our Fatherland . . , From Here We Have Driven The Barbarian* Language, Laws and Arts. . . .

"Austrians!! I say that this inscription is a mortal stab at Austrian pride! Not we but they are barbarians!!"

Soon the national indignation of Austrians became so great that 289 provincial Mayors rushed to Vienna, called in a body upon Chancellor Monsignor Ignaz Seipel, and demanded that he despatch a diplomatic protest to Signor Benito Mussolini.

Though the 289 Mayors steamed with wrath and sweated in the July heat, not a drop of perspiration stood forth upon the bald, pink cranium of Ignaz Seipel. Did they realize, he rapped sternly, that he had only just patched up the break in Austro-Italian relations which occurred when an Austrian mob stormed the Italian consulate at Innsbruck (TIME, June 4), resulting in the recall of the Italian Minister from Vienna. Were they conscious that not until last fortnight did Italian Minister Giacinto Auriti return to Vienna. Under the circumstances, and considering the relative potencies of militant Italy and disarmed Austria, the 289 Mayors were informed by Monsignor Ignaz Seipel that he would not (i. e., dared not) protest against the new Italian monument which dubs Austrians, "barbarians."

Unanimously vexed the Mayors emerged and jointly stated that: "Seipel has again surrendered to Mussolini's insatiable ambition." Soothing was a later visitor who stayed and chatted blandly for two hours --Charles Evans Hughes.

Curiously enough it was not belligerent Benito Mussolini who unveiled last week the wrath-kindling Bolzano monument. The Dictator was busy in Rome averting a panic and "rotating" his Cabinet (see ITALY). Therefore the limelight at Bolzano was held by a most diminutive monarch, King Vittorio Emanuele III.

As the dedication began 20,000 assembled Italian War Veterans spontaneously cheered their beloved little king--one of the few monarchs to visit front line trenches under fire during the War. With a brisk salute, His Majesty acknowledged the cheer, then sat, impassive and noncommittal, while the inaugural oration was pronounced by Minister of Public Works O. Giuriati. Orated he, in reckless, provocative, and typically Fascist style:

"We bless the intuition which led us to intervention in the War. We bless the blood generously shed by the 700 battalions of fallen. We bless our scars, the pain of which is now eased by a great radiant hope.

"Sire, obeying the command of our race, we Italians, we War veterans, we Fascisti, in front of you who impersonate the nation, in front of you who led it to the triumphant conclusion of the War, in front of this altar symbolizing our glory and our rights, in front of God who reads our hearts, we swear to arm our spirits and to resume the march if your Majesty should ever again so command us."

When reports of this speech, at first held up by the Fascist censor, finally reached Vienna, several markedly belligerent parades and public demonstrations took place, and Pan-German editors became choleric over the theme that: "Italy has declared intent of war upon Austria."

* Italian correspondents maintained, last week, that "barbarian" was altered in the inscription at the last minute, and "foreign" substituted.