The Struggle For Peace

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under which a second plebiscite should be held later, with
regular voting lists. In the meantime, he said, he would be
prepared to make it clear that voters might vote for his
policy but against him personally, in order to prove that the
plebiscite was not a personal question of his remaining in
office. Later that clay, feeling himself to be under threat of
civil war and a possible military invasion, the Chancellor
gave way to the two Ministers and agreed to cancel the plebis-
cite on condition that the tranquillity of the country was not
disturbed by the Nazis. There seems to be little doubt that
this offer was referred to Germany. In any event, the reply
which the Ministers returned was that this offer was insufficient
and that Herr Schuschnigg must resign in order to be replaced
by Herr Seyss-Inquart. It appears that the Austrian Chancellor
was given until 4.30 p.m., Greenwich time, in which to reply
and was informed that if his reply was not satisfactory,
German troops would be ordered to move at 5 o'clock.
This fact seems to show that Germany was behind the
ultimatum.
" Later in the day a fresh ultimatum was delivered, which
appears to have been brought from Germany by aeroplane.
The demands made were the resignation of the Chancellor
and his replacement by the Minister of the Interior, a new
Cabinet of which two-thirds were to be National Socialists,
the Austrian Legion to be readmitted to the country and given
the duty of keeping order in Vienna, and the total readnaission
of the Nazi party. A reply was required before 6.30 p.m.,
Greenwich time. To these demands the Austrian Chancellor
announced, a little later on the wireless, that he had, in view
of the German threatened invasion, yielded in order to
avoid the shedding of German blood. He said that he wished
the world to know that the President and he had yielded to
force and that Austrian troops had been instructed to oppose
no resistance to German troops if and when the latter crossed
the frontier. The subsequent entry of German troops into
Austria and the visit of the German Chancellor to Linz will be
known to hon. Members.
" His Majesty's Government have throughout been In
the closest touch with the situation. The Foreign Secretary
saw the German Foreign Minister on loth March and addressed