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Heavy Guard Kept in Vienna

July 30, 1934
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as new barricades were raised in the inner city, the government quarter was encircled by barbedwire entanglements, a cordon of machine guns was thrown around the government buildings and the cabinet council assembled in an emergency session.

Rumors flew about Vienna that Nazi rebels were massing for a new offensive against the city, Austrian newspaper men and foreign correspondents were unable to approach government institutions in an effort to gather news unless they submitted to search.

Sunday brought little respite to the strife-torn provinces, particularly in Carinthia and Styria, where sporadic fighting between Nazis and government troops assisted by the Heimwehr continued, but in Vienna quiet reigned.

According to the best available estimates tonight, the toll of casualties in the civil war which started Wednesday, when Chancellor Dollfuss was assassinated, now stand at 900 killed and 10,000 wounded.

While the government forces seemed to be in control, and the operations against the Nazis seemed to be mainly in the nature of mopping up operations, the lull was held by experienced observers to be the prelude to a further and greater storm.

REICH BORDER CLOSED

Another danger spot was added to those already charted when it was reported that severe fighting had broken out near Salzburg which is close to the German border. Credence was lent to this report by the action of the German government which immediately ordered the entire Austro-German border closed completely.

It is thought here that the action of the Nazi government was also dictated by the fear that the Austrian Legionnaires may get out of hand and make an attempt to break through to Austria to aid their party comrades.

The government of Prince von Starhemberg announced today that it has completed arrangement for the trial of the 144 Nazis who captured the chancellory and executed the amazing coup-d’etat which resulted in the death of Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss and the revolt of the Nazis. Eight of the actual murderers were reported to have been shot by enraged Heimwehrmen, but the government communique said nothing about the alleged shooting, merely saying that the Nazis will go on trial tomorrow before a special military court, which under the Austrian laws can mete out death sentences.

Rumors persisted here that the huge Italian army which had taken up a position near the Austrian border had finally crossed the border and was now on Austrian soil. Both the Austrian government and the Italian legation here denied the rumors and called them fantastic.

The Nazis in the provincial battle centers appear to be hanging on to their positions desperately in the hope that by so doing their comrades in other Austrian centers may be encouraged to revolt. The fighting continues to be of the most savage nature with no quarter given or asked.

Further complicating the situation is the speculation as to the future of relations between Nazi Germany and the present Austrian regime. By delaying its approval of the appoinment of Herr Franz von Papen as special Minister to Austria, the government has indicated that it is suspicious of the motives behind the appointment. Government officials have stated bluntly that Herr von Papen’s mission is not to make peace, but to help the Austrian Nazis win in another manner.

At the same time the Austrian government has openly charged that the revolt was ordered by German Nazi leaders supporting its contentions by declaring that bombs captured by regular troops were made in Germany and that documents captured from Nazi leaders proved that the orders for the revolt were issued from Germany.

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