Evening star., 1914-10-08
AUSTRIA P|NSH HER
FAITH ON GERMANY
Believes Kaiser Eventually
Will Save the Situation No
Matter What Happens. J
VIENNA IN DUMB PATIENCE
AWAITS BATTLE NEWS
Reuter- Letter Tells of Paralyzed
Commerce and Industry-Women
Do Manual Labor.
of the Associated Press.

Do Manual Labor.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.
LONDON. September PA news let
ter received by the Reuter- Telegram
Company from Venice reads:
According to word received here
from Vienna, the Austrian public is watt
ing in dumb patience for some definite
news to what is really happening in
Galicia and along the Servian frontier.
Although there is an uneasy feeling
that affairs are not going we'll for Aus
tria. the mass of the people still pin
their faith on Germany, and are con-
fdent that. no matter what happens
now. the Germans will eventually save
the situation.
MANY others, however, disgusted
with the ambiguous and scanty reports
from official sources. are beginning to
disregard the newspapers altogether.
Ever since 1t became known that Rus
sia was making such startling head
way in Galicia 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 reverses at Lemberg and
along the Servian border. But the pres
ence of 10000 Polish refugees from
Galicia, added to the constant arrival
of trainloads of wounded, has consid-
erably discounted the effects of official
reticence.
Industry Paralyzed.
Commerce and industry are para
lyzed throughout thed ual 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 anx-
iously endeavoring to find some means
of getting their product to England by
indirect route. To relieve the stress of
the financial situation the government
has decided to organize a war credit
bank with capital of S1,000.000. be-
sides a number of loan institutions. for
order to carry on various industrial en-
terprises.
made for boycotting goods coming
from hostile countries, notably Eng
land and France, but they have met
with scanty support in the most inf1u-
ential commercial circles. The Prague
Chamber of Commerce refused to in
dorse such a proposal. saying that il
would be quite useless at the present
moment besides being dangerous for
Austrian commercial interests later on.
"Outside Vienna and Budapest the
aspect of the whole country is lifelesS
and apparently denuded of active men.
and presents an appearance of strange
and oppressive Quietness. Great fac
tories are completely shut down, fur
naces are out, doors are locked and
not even a watchman is visible In the
streets. The smlal towns are deserted
save for few children here and there,
and there are scarcely any workers in
are chiefly women and occasionally old
men.
Women Do the Work.
"The women are now performing the
most laborious tasks. even to the load
ing of freight cars. Trains are rum
ming on most lines on restricted sched-
ules. There are hardly any passengers
and solitary soldiers may be seen
guarding stations. 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
of stretchers are ready to receive the
wounded. The well meant hospitality
of the public in supplying Soldiers
with food, delicacies and cigarettes is
on the peasant soldiers who are not ac-
customed to such fare. They consumed
everything given them greedily and
became sick in consequence
The question of the unemployed is
assuming serious proportions. espe-
cially in Vienna and Budapest. Many
hundreds have been given work in
the construction of Notifications along
Vienna and hundreds more have been
sent from the towns into the country
to work in the fields. The Austrian
peasants are displaying great in
atrif in, lrlf fr,tr hn OF Th.N
refuse to pay city workers any wages
at all and house and feed them mis-
erably. For this they claim from the
state four shillings for each worker
declined to yield to such exorbitant
demands. In Vienna funds are being
raised to feed the unemployed, but
the demand is constantly increasing
since. besides the unemployed. the city
is crowded with Galicians.
Life in Vienna.
Life in Vienna pursues much the
same course as before the war. Cafes
and restaurants are filled and some Of
the theaters are open. The Imperial
Court Opera and the Court Theater
will be opened shortly four times
weekly, the performers having finally
agreed to accept reduced salaries for
a period of four months. Over half
the street TdilWds cfHPioycS nave ucSh
called into the army, and in conSe-
quence the service has been greatly
reduced. Nine hundred men have been
engaged, but some time must elapse
before they are competent to run the
trains. A large number of police have
also rejoined the army, but the city is
perfectly quiet and orderly. So far
there have been no demonstrations
against the emba ssies of the allied
powers. The prices of food are not
much above the normal, although an
advance reported on the wholesale
prices of wheat, barley and rye will
affect the cost of flour and bread. The
price of petroleum has risen consider
ably and many redneries have closed
down. Boring operations have ceased.
many have increased because Amer
ican oil is no longer arriving in Its
usual quantities.