ABSTRACT
The USSR could absorb Austria only by military force, or by a combination of economic and political pressures supplemented by Satellite interference following quadripartite troop withdrawal. The actual potential of Austrian industry cannot be gauged by pre-Anschluss characteristics, and, until the future relationship of the USSR to the Austrian economy has been established, cannot be assessed with accuracy. The enthusiasm of both major parties in Austria for an early treaty settlement has been considerably reduced by the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia and by other external evidences of Communist strength, particularly in Italy. The new industrial capabilities will require development abroad of new markets and supplies of raw materials; at the same time, Austria could produce important new industrial wares for home consumption and sale abroad in exchange for the needed raw materials. The fact that Austrian communism is regarded as a tool of the USSR continues to stigmatize the movement.
