The New York Times, January 15, 1945

South Tyrol for Austria (1945)

Cession to Italy in 1918 Recalled as Deplorable Mistake
To the editor of The New York Times:

Emil Lengyel, in his letter to THE TIMES published Jan. 15, bases his argument against the reunion of South Tyrol with Austria on the fait accompli established by Hitler which reduced the Austrians living in South Tyrol from 250,000 to fewer than 100,000. By the same argument one could make a case against the reunion of Alsace-Lorraine with France, since Hitler performed on that region an identical operation.
As to the option of Austrian Tyrolese for German citizenship, we think one must concede that these poor devils had really very little choice. Having only the alternative between the German-speaking Nazi hell and the Italian-speaking fascist hell, it is understandable that they preferred to receive their directions at least in the language they understood. And if Austria should not be rewarded for the option of so many South Tyrolese, it is difficult to understand why Italy should be rewarded. Italy offered as a price for the same deal utter subservience to Hitler's cause.
Thus, while it appears that the two sides of the argument neutralize each other, we think one must take into account the fact that if almost 50 per cent of the South Tyrolese remained on their land in spite of the withdrawal of German protection and the prospect of hopeless denationalization, they showed indeed an attachment to their soil which should deserve more.
There are few claims with a better foundation than Austrian's claim to South Tyrol, whose cession to Italy in 1918 was deplored by Lloyd George, Wilson and Clemenceau and is still called a "miscarriage of justice" by the Encyclopaedia Britannica. It is inconceivable that anyone should still be able to subscribe to it.

Leopold Kohr, Egon Ranshofen-Wertheimer.

Washington, Jan. 15, 1945

Abgeschrieben von Dr. Andreas Maislinger am 3. Juli 2004.