Insulted by Austria

While the resolutions passed at the recent sitting of the League of Nations were under discussion last week by the Austrian Chamber of Deputies, one Ellenbogen, a Socialist, dared to asperse Premier Mussolini as follows:

"Mussolini not only robs the liberty of his own people but robs the Germans of southern Tyrol of the autonomy granted to them at Versailles. He robs the property of foreigners, and the League of Nations does not dare to stop this highwayman!"

Promptly the Fascist Government protested at Vienna that satisfaction for such an insult must be instantly forthcoming. At once the Austrian Government despatched a hasty apology, deploring the incident and declaring that the President of the Austrian Chamber had reprimanded Deputy Ellenbogen at the time his remarks were uttered.

To Premier Mussolini it seemed that such an apology was not enough. He recalled that the standing orders of the Italian Chamber provide that when a member insults the head of a foreign power or offends a friendly or allied nation, the Chamber has the right to waive parliamentary immunity and authorize the trial of such a member, in order that he may be punished and entire satisfaction given to the nation offended. Was it not fitting that satisfaction be rendered along these lines?

Naturally the Fascist Government echoed the voice of its master, declared that Austria's apology was "unsatisfactory." In Vienna there were long faces among Austrian Nationalists. Should it be necessary to render the last measure of satisfaction, Austrian diplomatic prestige would become practically nonexistent.