AUSTRIA: Government Approved

Twenty-seven years ago, as World War I ended, a middle-aged Social Democrat named Karl Renner became Chancellor of the first Austrian Republic. Last week, a World War later, 75-year-old Karl Renner, still a Social Democrat, was elected President of the Second Austrian Republic.

Immediately after his election President Renner stepped over to Vienna's Presidential Building to swear in his successor as Chancellor, Leopold Figl, head of the Volkspartei. He also swore in the Figl Cabinet—as amended.

Out, a few days before, had gone three ministers of whom the Russians did not approve. Marshal Ivan S. Konev, Soviet representative on the Allied Control Council, had objected to Julius Raab and Vincent Schumy (Volkspartei) and Andreas Korp (Social Democrat). Raab and Schumy, said the Russians, were tainted by fascism, Korp by collaboration.

The Russians had not sought to increase the meager Communist representation (one) in Chancellor Figl's 15-man Cabinet. But they insisted on using their veto power on the Control Council in a way that indicated Russia's long-range intention of watching closely Austria's internal politics. Austria would not be added to the list of Russian-dominated countries; neither would it be fully independent.