New Britain herald., 1916-07-13
GREEKS HUNGER AS
 PRICES SHOOT UP
Rich Getting Richer and Poor Poorer, Athens Reports

l Athens, July 13.-While the gov- ernment of Greece is being torn poli- ] tically in an effort to devise a taxa l tiOn scheme to prevent bankruptcy, | especially since what amounts to a l veto against foreign loans by the all1es the people are divided into two classes-those who are being made rich by war profits and those suffer- ing direly as the result of interference with normal pursuits.
 The prices of fOOdstuffS have ad- vanced pitilessly, and suffering among the poor is very great, with no signs of abatement. This is especially true of the country districts. Within an hours walk of Athens it is impossible to buy sugar, and coffee is served at roadside inns without it. Bread, also, is very scarce. The cities and towns are infested with beggars, while the presence of large numbers of refu- gees from other Balkan states and Turkey has contributed to the unfor- tunate situation.
 Greece, while essentially an agri- cultural country, has never produced sufficient food for it's own support while in most manufactured articles it must also turn to other lands for it's needs. Its closest commercial re- lations in the past have been with the various European countries, Russia Turkey, Rumania, Bulgaria and Egypt. As consequence of the blockade imposed on the Central Powers and the closing of the Dar- danelles, the Hellenic merchant and farmer ,as we'll as the manufacturer, 1,ox bod t~ o1r a market for their goods and a mar ket to supply their needs. As a re- suit, the United States has profited greatly.
 Cost Enormously Increased.
 The cost of all products, local and imported, has enormously increased. Other causes of the increased cost of living have been the mobilization of the army, with consequent reduction of the agricultural output, the pres ence of foreign armies and navies which consumed a large part of the local food supply, and the poor cereal crop of last year.
 There is an abundance of money in the banks, the gold reserve being we'll maintained, while deposits are subject to check Earnings of the merchant marine have favorab bly, influ- enced the entire situation. These have been estimated at 2,00O,OOO since the beginning of the present war.
 Inability of the government to ob- tain loans from abroad has made it consider the idea of an internal loan. Steps looking to this end, however, have been checkmated by the interna- tional financial commission, which at the moment is believed to be domi- mated by allied interests MT. Ora goumis, minister of finance, who re- signed some time ago, estimated the national deficit at nearly $120, ,O00, 900. For several years no budget has been voted by the state and the government has worked along on a provisional measure, lacking parliamentary ratifi- cation. In very great measure today the government of Greece resembles a dictatorship, the king being supreme.
 The International Financial com mission is composed of representa- lives of the various great powers and has control of practically all quick wealth producing elements of the country-the various monopolies and customs houses. Any country not represented on this board of control and sharing in it's assets would be in the pOSlllOn, II It maQo a loan to Greece, of accepting a second mort gage, the value of which would be highly problematical.
 Higher Tariff Doubtful.
 It is not thought that Greece can stand an increase of the present high tariff. Revenue should be raised some think, by the imposition of an income tax and a tax on the great earning of the merchant marine spr1nging out of the war. Both of these schemes, however, would be bitterly opposed. The resignation of Minister Dragoumis is ascribed in large measure to the reluctance of his colleagues to unite with him in bringing forward a scheme for tax ing war profits.
 The enormous suspension of build ing operations, both public and pri- vate, has been another result of the 1 war. Apart from the enormous ad- vance in the price of materials, the l increasing difficulty of securing de- 1 livery of goods has been an almost in surmOuntable stumbling block in such l construction work.
 | TO INTERVENE FOR BASEMENT. Washington, July 13.-Senator l O'Gorman asked President Wilson to-