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Lessing. At Marienbad, near the German border, lived bearded little Professor Theodor Lessing, an exile from Germany. A pacifist and a Jew, Professor Lessing had been converted to Christianity, but returned to Israel after students, enraged by his radical opinions, forced his resignation from Hanover Technical College and the Hitler Government confiscated his property. To Marienbad he fled, taking with him as his chief treasure the walking stick of the great philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. Last week while the 18th World Zionist Congress squab- bled hoarsely in Prague, someone raised a clumsy fire ladder to the third floor window of Professor Lessing's bedroom. Two men went up the ladder, two pistol bullets cracked through the window pane and into Professor Lessing's head. He died in his wife's arms on his way to the hospital.
Again bloodhounds were called out. Yelping mournfully, they led perspiring Czech police to the cabin of a notorious poacher, Max Epker, member of a Nazi trade union. When they got there the cabin was bare. Czech authorities had to content themselves with arresting eleven assorted Nazis and, like Austria, like Switzerland, doubling their frontier guards.
Assistance. Hofer, Weber and Lessing were just what the Dollfuss Government needed to point up the Hitler menace to the peace of Europe, and it used them to the hilt. Quickly came the little Chan- cellor's reward. Worried Italy, France, Britain gave Austria permission to increase her regular army of 22,000 men to 30,000, the full strength allowed under the Treaty of St. Germain, "as long as the special conditions exist." as long as Adolf Hitler is Chancellor of Germany. Permission included a good deal more than adding another 8,000 men to Austria's long-term volunteers. Excitable old General Karl Vaugoin, Minister of War, blurted out:
''A new army system will be adopted this week. ... A second army will be established which will give its members six months of compulsory training. We will call up every half-year from 8,000 to 10,000 men. ... A second body of troops will be set up, led by officers and under- officers of the army. ... It may be regarded as the first step toward universal military service."
Italy, France, Britain might be willing that such a thing should occur, but they certainly did not want it blurted out in this rude manner, for it meant the practical revision of one of the sacrosanct War treaties, and if Austria could win revision on a small point, here was an opening wedge for Germany! Loudly they insisted that they were not permitting compulsory service, that the new volunteers were to be admitted only for as long as the "special conditions" lasted. Chastened General Vaugoin subsided, knowing that in three years Austria will have not 30,000 men, but a trained reserve of 78,000 men and, if the Allies will only shut their eyes to forbidden siege guns and planes, a real army.