The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-26
Austrian Born American Re-
turns to His Native Land
at the Age of az.

NEW YORK, March 95.-Alfrod
Rosner, an American citizen of Aus
trIan birth. recently returned from
Vienna, whittier he had accompanied
his mother. aged 72, who wanted to so
back to her native land. where Is an
other son. widower, with two chill
dren, Teddy. aged 8, and Augusta, IL.
Alfred Rosner, now - years OF age,
came to the United States at the age
OF s. Immediately upon attaining his
majority he became naturallzed. He
was able to get passport before sail
ing with his family on the Holland
America liner Remsden six months
ago.
When the Remsden neared the Brit
lsh Isles, 1t was oVerhauled by Brit
ish cruiser and taken into Falmouth.
where 1t was held for six days. Pass
ing Dover, after being permitted TO
/ proceed, 1t was target for zeppelins,
but got through undamaEed.
! From Holland the Rosners made
their way into Germany and thence
to the Austrian capital.
"A DlshCRrtenlng Place"
vienna was dishearteneIng place
to see," said Rosner to reporter. BE
fore the war Vienna We'd with Paris
and Berlin for gayety, but there Is no
gayety there now. While the men are
engaged in the devastation Of France.
OF Poland, OF Belgium and OF Serbia.
their children are left ut home while
their mothers and sisters go out to
do the mems work in what Is left OF
the every day life of the country. But
the children, while the most appeal
ing, are not the saddest sight to be
seen In the streets of Vienna, nor the
most ELOQUENT The streets arc almost
bare OF civilians. Those who walk
them wear military uniforms, old,
shabby and outworn. and cripples al
most to man. The government has
tried hard to keep the crippIes out of
Vienna. They are not re-assuring to
the women of the city, and the Haps-
burgs know what women, driven to
desperation by want and privation, can
do, as, for instance, during the reign
OF terror in France. And so the ma
jority OF the cripples are kept in sam
itariums and retreats out OF the city.
But there are not accommodations
enough for all and many are brought
or permitted to come to Vienna.
eThere are uninjured soldiers In
Vienna, too, many Of them. The mil
itary necessities Of Austria are appar-
emily not entirely confined to the var
iOus fields of trenches. While there
Is not bread enough for the civilian
population, there seems to be plenty
Of liquor for the soldiers, who are a
rough lot. If one would avoid trouble
he had best avoid a group Of them
staggering down the road.
1.-THE civilian who walks the streets
has many things to contend with. He
Is stopped time and again by officers
and compelled to explain by what
exemption he has been able to remain
while others are fighting at the front.
Most Of the exempts are foreigners,
and because Of their exemption the
people are resentful, especially when
they are Americans.
Americans DisIiked.
II noticed Col. Houses astatement
on his return that there was no hatred
of Americans in central Europe. He
came over on the same ship as I did.
no doubt he studied conditions, but
surely he didn't mingle with the poor
people who make up the population;
II he had he would have had proof of
their dislike of his countrymen. In
Vienna this hatred Is intense and dog
ged. The United States Is considered
the enemy Of the Teutonic allies, and
the widely circulated story that 1t is
only American made munitions which
prevent immediate victory for the two
kaisers has intensified this haterd.
And of all Americans. President Will
son lsamost dfsliked. fF
My American citizenship barred me
from work everywhere. Although
brought recommendations from agents
ETC., for my line Of mork, when APP
piled was asked: Where do you come
from? America answered. We'll,
then, so back there and get work.
Nevertheless, there is much work to
be done in Vienna. Women are doing
most of that which formerly was done
by men. But, though tramped the
streets Of Vienna early and late for
three months seeking employment, 1
could find nothing to do.
Ragged Battalions.
"one of the odd sights Of Vienna
is the drilling, of the last class Of re-
cruits, who had been called out just
before 1 left. This. included all men
previously exempt up to SIS years OF
age, and they were drilled in battalions
by youth Of 20 and 20. watched a
regiment being drilled one afternoon.
They resembled .scarecrows rather
than human beings. They wore tat
tered clothes taken from the dead or
the wounded; 1t was a pathetic sight.
The drill officer turned to me and
said: Say. haven't you anything to
amuse yourself with or can't you find
something better to do than watch
us?' An American watching them evil
IDENTITY was, toom UGH for him.
t"The food situation is. very bad.
When / left, very little flour was OBJ
tainable; 1t was mostly corn meal. The
meal and bread were distributed on
the bread ticket system, each ticket
holding stamps which entitled the
holder to two loayes OF. bread. Each
ticket held four stamps, and was Civ.
en- each week. The holder could have
either two loaves OF bread or two
pounds OF half -four. and meal. Even
this scant ration is not to be had
without trouble. People who expect
to get their supply must be in line
outside the store as early sometimes
I'll r A. 80 =.