Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-11
AUSTRIA LIKE DUMB ANIMAL
People Suffer Effects Of War With
out Knowing Any Details,
COMMERCE WHOLLY PARALYzED
Factories shut, Few Active Sen Tn
Country and Streams OF wonnded
Men Keep Pourinu In from
the Front.

CCorre spondence Of the Associated Press
LONDON. Sent "A news letter re-
ceived by the Reuter- Telegram company
from Venice reads:
According to word received here from
Vienna, the Austrian public IL waiting
in dumb patience for some definite news
as to what is really happening in Calico
and along the Servian frontier. Although
there is an uneasy feeling that affairs
are not going we'll for Austria, the mass
Of the people stn pin their faith on
Germany. and are confident that no mat
ter what happens now, the Germans will
eventually save the situation.
MANY others, however, disguised with
the ambiguous and scanty reports from
official sources arc beginning to Cisre-
gard the newspapers altogether. Ever
since It became known that Russia was
making such startling headway In Gal
icia, the Vienna newspaper comments
have been most guarded. The editorials
deal chiefly with the German campaign
In western Europe thus seeking to divert
public attention from the Austrian re-
verses at Lcmbcrg and along the Servian
border, but the presence OF 1000 Polish
refugees from Galicia, added to the con
slant arrival OF trainloads Of wounded,
has considerably discounted the effects
Of official rcticence.
Commerce IIRIts.
commerce and industry are paralyzed
throughout the dual monarchy and the
stoppage Of exports threatens TO ruin
some OF the largest Industries, notably
the sugar trade. Millions OF pounds Of
sugar are sent annually from Austria to
Great Britain, India and other points
abroad. Refiners are anNiousy endeavor-
ing to find some means OF getting their
product 20 England by indirect route, To
relieve the stress OF the financial situa-
ton the government has decided TO or
ganlze war credit bank capital OF
100000 besides number OF loan In
stitutions for advancing money without
interest in order TO carry on various In
dustrlal enterprises.
Numerous suggestions have been made
for boycotting goods coming from hostile
countries. notably England and France,
hut they have met with scanty support
in the most influential commercial cir
oles. The Prague Chamber OF Commerce
refused TO endorse such proposal say
ing that It would be quite useless at the
for Austrian commercial interests later
on. outside Vienna and budapest tho
aspect of the whole country is lifeless and
apparently denuded Of active men. and
presents an appearance Of strange and
oppressive quietnoss Great factories are
completely shut down. furnaces are out.
doors are locked and not even a watch
man Is visible in the streets The small
towns are deserted save for a few child
rem here and there. and there are scarcely
any workers in the fields. Tho few who
may be seen are chiefly women and oc-
dasionally old men.
Women Are Lnborers.
''Th womn are now performing the
most laborlous taEkH. even to the loading
OF freight cars. Trains are running on
most lines on restricted schedules. There
are hardly any passengers and SOLITARY
soldiers may be seen guarding statlons
bridges or tunnels, but bodies OF troops,
even In small numbers, are rarely seen
All have gone TO the front Red Cross
stations have been set UP In the principal
towns and dcpots provided with vast
numbers OF stretehers are ready TO re
ceive the wounded. The well-meant hos
pitality Of the public In supplying SOL
diers with food. delicacies and cigarettes
h said TO have had an unfortunate effect
on the peasant soldiers who are not ac-
eustomed 10 such fare. They consumed
everything given them greedily and be-
came sick in consequence,
THE question OF the unemployed is
assuming serious proportions. especially
In Vienna ana Budapest Many hundreds
have been given work In the construction
OF Notifications along the Danube in the
neighborhood Of Vienna, and hundreds
more have been sent from the towns into
the country to work In the fields. The
Austrian peasants are displaying great
ingenuity In exploiting the state. They
refuse to pay city workers any wages at
all and house and feed them mlserably.
For this they claim from the state four
shiilings for each worker per day. The
government, however declined 20 Yield
70 such exorbitant demands. In Vienna
funds are being raised 70 feed the un-
employed. but the demand is constantly
increasing. since, besides the unemployed
the city is crowded With canrlana.
Little Change In vienna,
Life In Vienna pursues much the
same course as before the war. Cafes
and restaurants are filled and some OF
the theeters are open. The Imperial
Court opera and the Court theater will
DO opened shortly four timer weekly, the
performers having finally agreed to ac-
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