By Niccolò Giani
In a speech delivered at a patriotic meeting in Villach, the Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss summarized the desired political-economic-social renewal of the Austrian republic in the following points:
"1) the imminent publication of an ordinance which will create a single syndical union for workers and employees; 2) the publication of a new constitutional charter which will make Austria a Corporative Fascist Christian German State; 3) the adhesion of the Social-Christians to the "Fatherland Front" which will be the only party responsible for the existence and future of Austria; 4) measures for the reorganization of the provincial government: all professional politicians will be excluded from them; the diets will constitute corporative bodies closely linked to the Central Corporative Chamber."Today, the four points of Dollfuss are now under way: the Austrian Council of Ministers has already adopted a corporative solution to the trade union problem; the new constitution was entrusted to the study of Minister Ender; the Fatherland Front, which gathers all national forces and is the only platform for the political life of the country, has already secured the adhesion of the Social-Christians; the reorganization of the provincial government is finally underway.
Austria, as we can see, marches forward, supporting the gradual realization of the new political conception initiated and established by Fascism; because it is our revolution that the new leaders base themselves on. Prince Starhemberg, in an interview granted to the correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, expressed himself in this regard:
"We have taken our doctrines from Italy and at the same time we have created what we call Austrian Fascism."In another interview the head of Heimwehren reiterated thus:
"We know that not only in Austria, but in the whole world, the old democratic forms are inevitably destined to disappear. The days of parliamentarism, liberalism and individualistic capitalism have passed. A wave of renewal has passed over the whole world, and I give it the name of Fascism because Fascist Italy was the first to develop this new concept. When we call ourselves Fascists, therefore, it simply means that we too want to realize the modern ideas of the future, the same which the Fascist Regime has achieved in Italy. I use the term Austro-Fascism to emphasize that the realization of these ideas must be different in each country and correspond to the particular character of each population."Finally, Prince Starhemberg declared to the correspondent of Petit Parisien that "the future Austrian State must be authoritarian, corporative and Christian". The words and constant action of the leader of the Heimwehren, together with the firm and decisive politics of the Chancellor, united in bonds of perfect harmony and collaboration, as Starhemberg declared to the Hungarian newspaper Ujsag, testify to the new spirit that informs the current life of Austria which, if fully realized, can not but guarantee its social and political stability, to the full benefit of continental solidarity as well.
