The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-11-19
Of
VIENNA IS HARD
HIT BY WAR

enco the Associated Press) Out
wardly Vienna is the same as before
the war but actually this great city
Is stricken, Dozens OF thoators and
operas are open, cafes and music
halls arc crowded. but u very large
part OF the population Ia In poverty
Hacking not only food and clothing
hut a place to live. The streets are
throngod. shops opened, shop win
dows filled with the articles OF lux
lury for which Vienna IL famous, but
the better part OF the stock In to be
found In the windows,
Virtually everything IL priced In
hundreds OF crowns. Austrian money,
paper only and unbackod by precious
metal, goos steadily down. Even the
swarms OF beggars that infest the
streets look reproachfully at any
thing less than the pink piece OF
paper that indicates two crowns. IL
costs a hundred crowns to 20 u few
blocks by carriage, taxicabs betug
few and almost prohibitive even In
the deprecated money, while the
street porters, old men who act as
messengers and carriers. Will not
cross the street for less than tive ~
crowns.
Once the best dressed town In tho
world, Vienna is plain to the point
of shabbiness. Most OF the women
wear unmlstakable homo made
gowns and the mems clothing shows
the mark OF wear. the cleaner the
mender and often tho tailors VINO
turn the unwearable inside out.
1T would cost me four months
salary to buy new suit OF clothes
now" remarked a foreign oifcY Of
ficial, as he smiled at his ilve-year-.
old serge "and must eat occasicn-
ally"
The other day there was a great
dem onstration OF state pensioners be-
fore the House OF Parliament and
some OF the cases cited by the depu-
tation to the government were pitt
full. These pensioners said they
were starving.
Meantime the press openly charges
that backdoor or Illicit trade In food
and other commodities sup
posedly under government contrJl Ia
widely prevalent
Vienna Is suffering from lack OF
facilities The population is
at 200. 900 to 100000
more than In normal times. The
city government lately has taken a
few half-hearted steps in an effort
TO bring relief. A large number OF
so-called hotels of rather evil repu-
tation are to be cleaned out Of their
present occupants and turned over
as lodgings for the poor. The same
order expels from their premises.
,ften nearly palatial, and confiscates
'or public houseing purposes the
homes of the rich demi-monde. Also
I is contemplated to make use of
Iome of the splendid and practically
private palaces.
The papers and the more spirited
md farseeing men are sounding the
larm of fuelless winter. The In
er-Allied Coal commission has been
rying to provide at least a modi-
um of fuel for city utilities. but
hey admit 1t will be only a pittance
4 the normal supply. All around
he city the beautiful forests are be-
ng cut down for firewood, and fuel
, the one demand
The hotels answer the query of
very guest or prospective guest.
No. we do not hope to have heat
r water, only fire for cooking"
All through the months since the i
eace conference began the Vienese, :
Ugh and low, have said with simple I;
aith, when the peace Is signed /
lings will mend" They cannot I
splain exactly how or why, but they :!
ave conjured themselves with the {
lea that some part of miracle will
,cur. But the peace has been sign I
and nevertheless the crown goes !
own day by day and prices go up 4
Id everything is as bad as ever. !.
ow they say "The preparations X
All, yes, the commits I
on. They will fix things" I