As Innsbruck Goes . . .

One of the first to leave the secret huddle of statesmen that has been discussing Germany's future in Rome for three weeks (TIME, April 17 et seq.) was the smallest and youngest Premier in Europe, five-foot, 40-year-old Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. He took back to Vienna with him the assurance that Italy would back his Government to the limit providing it gave up any idea of political union with Germany. Italy carefully pointed out that such a union would reduce Austria to the status of a German State like Bavaria.

Chancellor Dollfuss. Christian Socialist (Catholic) leader, needed all the backing he could get. Austrian Nazis were growing stronger each day. Until last week he had the official support of Austria's homegrown Fascists, the Heimwehr. Nearly half the Heimwehr split away last week. published an announcement ''acknowledging without condition or restriction Adolf Hitler as leader of the German nation."

Little Chancellor Dollfuss countered by conferring with Jewish leaders in Vienna, reiterating the Government's promise that their civil rights would be protected and asking Jewish volunteers for his emergency police organization.

All this was shadow boxing. First actual test of Nazi strength in Austria was the municipal election last week in the Tyrol's ancient capital, Innsbruck. Because the distribution of voters in Innsbruck closely parallels their distribution in the nation, foreign correspondents have come to regard Innsbruck as Austria's Maine. Chancellor Dollfuss flew to Innsbruck to make speeches. Ninety percent of the electorate turned out to vote. It was no use.

Nazis polled 14,996 votes, twelve times their strength in the 1931 elections, winning nine out of 20 contested seats. And Pan Germans all lost strength. Only other party to gain was the Communist with 466 votes, a gain of 177, but they got no seat on the city council.

Chancellor Dollfuss pondered for awhile, then announced:

"The local elections will influence neither my aims nor my policy."

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