Paris Peace Conf. 184.01102/2
Professor A. C. Coolidge to the Commission to Negotiate Peace
No. 3
Berne
, December
31, 1918.
[Received January 4, 1919.]
[Received January 4, 1919.]
Sirs: I have the honor to report that I had an interview yesterday with Dr. Leopold Baron Hennet, Dr. Rudolph Ritter von Schwarz-Hiller, and Dr. Adler.1 Their arguments which they set forth at considerable length mostly came down to two main points about which they were insistent.
- 1st.
- German Austria is not in a position to support an undue share of any war indemnity. She has been drained of her wealth and she has not benefited by war expenditures for the creation or enlargement of factories, etc. These have been established elsewhere, notably in Bohemia. The fact that Vienna was the seat of the imperial government does not render the German Austrians as such peculiarly responsible for the war.
- 2nd.
- The German Austria of the future (of which Vienna contains about a third of the population) is economically of small resources and incapable of standing alone. Only two courses are possible for it:—either union with Germany which is favored by the Socialists not so much for nationalistic reasons as because they believe the socialistic cause in Austria would be strengthened by it, or a Danubian confederation. This (according to the speakers) is favored by a majority of the people for sentimental, historical, economic, and other reasons. To make it possible a fair modus vivendi with free interchange of products must be worked out between the different members of the confederation. In view of the recent events an understanding of this sort can hardly be brought about without strong moral support and perhaps direct pressure on the part of the Allies and of the United States. The speakers mentioned as among their own reasons for opposition to union with Germany, the fear that it would be looked upon with disfavor by the Allies, notably France. They also seemed to hold it as a threat or last resource if Austria were too severely treated at the final settlement. They expressed a desire that German Austria might have an opportunity to set forth her side of questions in Paris.
I have [etc.]
Archibald Cary Coolidge
- Vicktor Adler, Austrian Social Democratic leader.↩