Italy and Austria The communique issued after the meeting between
Signor Mussolini and Dr. Schuschnigg on Tuesday was a good deal longer than is usual on such occasions, but not for that reason necessarily more instructive. What principally emerges is that Italy stands more firmly than ever for Austria's independence and against any foreign intervention in her internal affairs ; that she certainly does not favour, and probably actively disapproves; any talk of a Hapsburg restoration ; and that the question of wider commercial agreements, e.g., with Czechoslovakia, designed. to ease Austria's economic problems, is to be explored. But the meeting was never intended to do more than provide an opportunity far the exchange of views and to establish personal relations between the Austrian Chancellor and the Italian Prime Minister. No definite decisions were therefore to be looked for, and all that need be said of the Chancellor's visit is that it seems to have achieved its purpose and left the relations between Austria and Italy rather more cordial than they were before.
