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C
o
P
Y
February 28, 1946.
Dear Mr. President:
I just learned that the Interallied Council for Austria,
at which the United States are represented by General Mark W. Clark,
has banned all monarchist activities in Austria, with the allegation,
- at least so the papers report - that the movement is "inconsistent
with democracy".
It is obvious that this move was dictated by Russia. But
as the document has been signed by America, it also involves the
name, the reputation and the responsibility of your country.
It is this fact which compells me to write to you. To be
attacked by a dictatorial power is a privilege, to which we are used
through the years we fought the Nazis. But if such an attack is,
even if only nominally, endorsed by a friendly democracy, I must
speak up in the names of those, who under my responsibility fought
the Nazis long before this war started and during all the ups and
downs of World War II.
I want here to repeat what I already indicated in my letter
of January 23rd. I challenge anyone to find in the program or the
past actions of the Austrian Monarchists anything in contradiction
with democracy. I ask: is it really such a crime against democracy
to work for a fair plebiscite on the question, whether our people
want the Republic or the Monarchy? It is furthermore unbelievable,
that the Allies forbade a novement which can prove that 2317 of its
members died fighting against the Nazis and that at least 6456 of its
"NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND
RECORDS
the
SERVICE'
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"ocrText": "C\no\nP\nY\nFebruary 28, 1946.\nDear Mr. President:\nI just learned that the Interallied Council for Austria,\nat which the United States are represented by General Mark W. Clark,\nhas banned all monarchist activities in Austria, with the allegation,\n- at least so the papers report - that the movement is \"inconsistent\nwith democracy\".\nIt is obvious that this move was dictated by Russia. But\nas the document has been signed by America, it also involves the\nname, the reputation and the responsibility of your country.\nIt is this fact which compells me to write to you. To be\nattacked by a dictatorial power is a privilege, to which we are used\nthrough the years we fought the Nazis. But if such an attack is,\neven if only nominally, endorsed by a friendly democracy, I must\nspeak up in the names of those, who under my responsibility fought\nthe Nazis long before this war started and during all the ups and\ndowns of World War II.\nI want here to repeat what I already indicated in my letter\nof January 23rd. I challenge anyone to find in the program or the\npast actions of the Austrian Monarchists anything in contradiction\nwith democracy. I ask: is it really such a crime against democracy\nto work for a fair plebiscite on the question, whether our people\nwant the Republic or the Monarchy? It is furthermore unbelievable,\nthat the Allies forbade a novement which can prove that 2317 of its\nmembers died fighting against the Nazis and that at least 6456 of its\n\"NATIONAL\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nthe\nSERVICE'"
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