The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-20
THE CONDITIONS IN
 AUSTRIA DESCRIBED
Food Prices Normal and Opera Houses Are Open-People Enthusiastic
 for War

Announcement Is made by the Hupp Motor Car company of the appointment of Charles Denby as general foreign sales representative. For the last five years MT. Denby his been United States consul general at Vienna, Austria. Previously he had been secretary of legation at Picking, China, and consul general at Shanghai, China.
 MT. Denby. who loft Austria late in November and who has just arrived in this country to conclude his arrange ments with the Hupp company, brings facts as to true conditions in Austria that contradict many reports which have been printed in this country He does not predict victory for either side in the war, but voices his belief that, even though Germany and Austria are overwhelmed, they will occupy moro important places as world powers after the war has been concluded
 During the recent months in Aus tria," said MT Denby. I've have had the most alarming reports from Ameri- ca as to conditions in Vienna and in Austria. My sister wrote from Switzer- land, deploring the fact that my family and l were living in a city in which cholera was rampant, in which riots were of daily occurrence, and In which
  starvation. As a matter of fact, con ditions in Vienna are as nearly normal as they could be in the capital of a country engaged in great war. Prices have not increased, food is bountiful, the Imperial opera and Imperial the atre are regularly open, the shops are displaying the latest fashions and, eX- cept for occasional ambulances which bring in the wounded from the stations and for the fact that all the ladies in the community are engaged in nos pita1 and relief work, life is as usual. "The two respects in which the ef- | feet of the war is commercially noticea- ble are these: There is rather deli ciency of coal in Vienna because the coal of Austria comes almost entirely | from Prussian mines and the movement of troops has prevented the regular arrival of the coal trains We were in- ! formed that after the first of December 1 bread containing more than I0 per cent of wheat flour would not be alloWeo' the balance to be flour of rice or Of corn. This is done, not because of any ac-
 tual present shortage of grain, put pc cause there may be shortage II the crops of 1915 should fail to realize the ! average.
 ''rhe attitude of the Austrian people al large toward the war, is one of enthusias- tic support. It has been said that II this
 war had no other effect, it would nave | accomplished good In Austria by opllter' ating the distinction between the various clements of that country's population, VIZ the Czech, Italian, Magyar, Teuton Rep
 res entatives of these various races ar'
 now fighting in regiments side by sid' against the common enemy.
 "As to the cause of the war and as t' it's outcome, everyone naturally forms hl
 own opinion. My own conviction Is tha
 xrvf11 hxy al
 the numbers of their antagonists, 1T TOT h
 other, be forced to abandon the far
 reaching designs which German states men have made public I believe, how
 ever, that the tremendous odds agalns
 these two powers will not be able to fore , them to a dshonorabie peace. It seem , probable that Germany and Austria WI
 take no permanent foothold on the so , Of Belgium or of France or of Russia
 is reasonable, however, to believe tha whatever the results of the war; German , and Austria will emerge from 1t With iil
 creased prestige and with high degre
 of respect from the world at large.
 "The Austrian people regret the ar
 parent anti-German attitude of the Amer jeans, but they have deep-seated frienc ship for our country and are liberal-min l ed enough to interpret this hostility l
 the light of influence of the British pres Il and of the recognized closer relation Q of the American people with Great Britai
 than with Germany.
 'rhere is strong opinion in Austria ths . the opportunity is now open for America ?, exporters to secure definite stand in u II Austrian market. This sentiment appli' II to motor cars and to other lines of trad II and when 1 left Vienna inquiries we II daily at my office as to where could II found in America many of the stapl II which Austria has heretofore bought fro II Great Britain, France and Russia?"