Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 42. (1992)
NAUTZ, Jürgen: Österreichische Überlegungen zur wirtschaftlichen Integration Europas und zum europäischen Machtgleichgewicht. Die wirtschaftspolitischen Arbeiten Richard Schüllers im amerikanischen Exil 1943–1950
EDITION duction of wheat (more than four dollars per ton) which upset the budget but were quite insufficient to allow the peasants to maintain their very modest standard of living. In 1931 Hungary concluded an agreement with Austria and Italy which by means of preferential duties and a system of bounties - pro-vided for the marketing of Hungarian exports in Austria and in Italy at prices well above world market level. And Czechoslovakia granted preferential tariffs to Austrian exports. But these attempts at establishing closer economic relations could not abolish the obstacles to reciprocal trade which the policy of the three countries had created since 1919. After the occupation of Austria and Czechoslovakia the Nazis abolished the tariffs between these countries and Germany. Their economy is directed by Berlin, trade is regulated by licenses and therefore not free at all. Under such circumstances tariffs are of no importance. Then the war caused great changes in the economy of the Danubian countries. In the last war their agricultural production declined by about 40%, and it can be assumed that this war will have similar effects. Industries are converted to serve the war machine of the Nazis and many factories which produced for civilian demand, stand still because they have no raw material and no labor. Thus many effects of the tariff-walls, erected after the last war, have disappeared and the reconstruction of economic life in the Danubian basin could be adapted to reciprocal free trade, Austria and Czechoslovakia renouncing expansion of their agricultural production at unreasonably high costs; and, with Hungary, letting industries find their natural location within the free trade territory. Since there would be no agricultural export surpluses, remunerative prices could be maintained and the peasants of Austria and Czechoslovakia would not suffer from Hungary’s competition. This wouid not be possible if Rumania and Jugoslavia were included. Serbia and a great part of Rumania did not belong to the Austria-Hunga- rian Monarchy, and they produce considerable agricultural exports surpluses. As the markets of Austria and Czechoslovakia are not large enough for the agricultural exports of all Danubian countries, the inclusion of Rumania and Jugoslavia would result in export surpluses and in low prices of foodstuffs. The standard of living of the Austrian and Czechoslovakian peasants would be depressed and Hungary would have to compete with the other Danubian countries in overcrowded markets. Though the participation of Rumania and Jugoslavia seems desirable from many points of view, a free trade plan, including these countries, has not much of a chance under the circumstances. A problem arises from the possibility of indirect imports. As each of the three countries keeps her own tariff, duties on the same commodity will differ. Therefore, imports from countries outside the free trade area 355
