Catoctin clarion., 1919-05-29
BY LLOYD ALLEN,
Western Newspaper Union Star Cor
resuondent

ICoIfSheS"e
Copyright, Western Newspaper Union,
Paris.-Backed by $1OO,OOO,OOO voted
ny congress, Herbert Hoover Is here
directing Americas big part in feed
ng the famine threatened nations OF
Europe.
But it is not the policy of Mr.. HOov-
ar's commission to give food away to
the peoples now so sorely pressed with
reconstruction problems. They must
)ay--at once, whenever possible.
When they cannot pay, they are to be
given credit, with security that will
insure America against total loss.
Any other policy would mean the
pauperization of Europe, and Hoover
has no intention whatever of conduct
ing a commission that would quickly
put the millions of Roumania, Poland,
and Serbia, to say nothing of the en-
emy nations, into a mighty bread line.
With this fundamental policy as the
oasis of conducting a gigantic relief
commission, Mr.. Hoover first of all
needed money and authority to start
the machinery. He had come to Eu-
rope with S5,OOO,O00 apportioned from
President Wilson's contingent funds to
finance such immediate relief work as
was found, upon investigation. to be
absolutely necessary for the salvation
IF EurOpe's new demOcracieS, the
Czecho-Slovaks, the Poles and Serbs,
and also the ROumanians.
Congress Votes $1o0ooo,o00.
When Hoover had had a chance to
look around, he discovered that $5,'
100000 was just about enough to
finance food shipments for one of these
nations. He did not single out one ma.
ton, however, but ordered cargoes ag-
gregating $15O00.OOO rushed from the
United States at once.
He trusted the American people to
provide the capital needed. And when
he got the first news of the final pas.
sage of the $1OO,OOO,OOO appropriation
In congress, an expression of relief
came into his face that had not been
there for weeks.
With a small staff, Mr. Hoover has
headquarters in the Hotel de Crillon,
in Paris, which has been turned into
a combination Office building and hotel
for members of the American commits
sion to negotiate peace.
Some of Mr.. Hoover's most trusted
aides are making personal inspections
of the food situation in Poland, Serbia,
and Austria.
DIR. Alonzo Taylor's report from VI
emma is very interesting. He found
the output of coal and agricultural
products in Austria Hungary seriously
reduced during 1917 as the result Of
fhe war, and still further lowered dur
ing 1918.
Austria-Hungary Badly Crippled.
AS result of the war and the allied
food blockade, the stocks of cOmmodi-
ties of all kinds, especially textiles,
have been dangerously depleted and
on account of the short production Of
coal the railways of the AustrO-Hun-
garian states are badly crippled. Hav.
Ing efficient railway transportation Is
an important factor in moving foods
where they are most urgently needed
Anything for the Czechs must pass
through what is left of Austria proper.
Austria Hungary has been divided
into five separate political areas. Tay.
lor believes that this action has for
the time being greatly reduced the re.
sources Of all this territory. Each
state sets up barriers against the 9th.
ers. He found the food distribution
and supply which formerly was mat
ter of exchange among the separate
states almost at a standstill. One sec
ton will have coal, another some su.
gar another some grain, but each un'
able to "carry on because Of lack Of
what the others have. In such a sit
uation, one state, inefficient, and with
it's financial system paralyzed, will
have plenty of coal, but no food while
another having some food cannot dis
tribute it because its railways have
no coal.
All of which causes such general un.
employment as to approach the dan
ger point.
Austrians Without Hope.
In the essentially Austrian lands,
there is a condition of apathy. No one
seems to have hope. The people wait
and In Vienna make an attempt at
gaiety. OF industry there is none. In
Jugo-Slavia and In CZecho-Slovakia
there is an entirely different psychol'
ogy. These liberated people have faith
in the future and are reaching out
and struggling to build up prosperous
nations, while the German-Austrian
peoples drift along in an apathetic
state, and the Hungarians live in a
daze Of proud resignation. Galicia
and eastern Hungary, that have been
taken over by Roumania, have become
voiceless.
Doctor Taylor found the food short
age most serious in German Austria,
where the people are on very low
daily ration with extremely short sup
plies In stock, or in sight.
In Czecho-SlOvakia there was suffi-
cient food to carry the nation through
the worst of the winter, but short
age before the new harvest was inevi-
table.
Austria a-Hungary-with fatalistic at.
1aa,ao1 ,1nohla IN or ~ vaooY,.