Evening star., 1919-11-30

BERN. Switzerland. Nov. 20, 1919.
Z 7 JENNA is at present in tur-
" moil over the governments
v decision to sell certain Of the
Austrian capitals world-fa-
nous art treasures. A plenipo-
tentiary is in charge of the whole
business and an advisory council is
helping him. And nows unless some
thing at present wholly unforeseen
should occur, Vienna will soon have
to sell certain of her treasures to buy
bread.
The authorities have been fighting
idea Of resorting to any such extreme
measures. but when Vienna could
hardly scrape together enough for
one months food supply for Austria,
there seemed nothing else for them
to do. And. as DR.. Renner, Austrian
chancellor. told the Vienna city coun-
Gil. unless Austria can procure within
very short time 100000 Dutch
gulden to pay for flour and corn in
Rotterdam. the population will have
virtually nothing to eat.
Foreign art dealers from the United
States. Paris, London and Japan are
already in Vienna In anticipation of
events to them highly interesting.
The famous Gobelin tapestries, which
may be among the articles to be sold
or mortgaged, and which were for
rooms of the Hapsburg Palace on
festive occasions. are considered by
experts to be worth 100000 to 100000
kroner each .($sO.000 to $100,00o), while
the ex-kaiser's so-called hunting
carpet" Persian silk carpet, the
most valuable Of all the many valua-
BILE carpets in the palace. is estimated,
also by experts. to be worth 100000
kroners ($1.000,000). If all the Gobelin
tapestries and all the gorgeous and
exquisite carpets in the former royal
palaces were sold they would bring in
about 3O.OOO.OOO kroner ($6.O0o.ooo).
Even this apparently large sum,
however. would go only little way
toward procuring food for the city Of
Vienna, aet alone for all Austria.
Among the other treasures that may
be sold arc manuscripts. both modern
and old; antique furniture. medals,
coins-indeed, anything so far as the
peace treaty does not prohibit its be-
ing sold to foreign countries" The
beautiful plate and delicate porcelain
and glass used formerly at state ban
quets in Vienna may also be sold, but
no pictures or other art treasures be-
longing to public galleries or public
collections. as this would admittedly
contravene the treaty of ST. Germain.
The Viennese fully realize that were
they forced to part with these histor-
ical art treasures their city would
lose enormously in interest, and far
fewer foreigners would trouble to
visit it. Many are crying out that
some other way should be found of
getting bread. but when asked what
other way they are apt to be at loss
for an answer.
The mayor Of Vienna has been call
ing upon the people to make any sac
rifice rather than part with their
treasures, and violent protests occur
red at city council meeting-protests
which were duly transmitted to the
government-pointi out that to part
with her art treasures would injure
Vienna's standing in the world. DR..
Renner, Austrian chancellor. how
ever replied that facts must be faced.
"Unless we get bread" he said, in
substance, "the people will perish.
What would do Austria most good
abroad would be for her to make peo-
pie believe that she takes her situa-
tion as seriously as she ought. Peo-
pie viii not help the Austrians unless
they believe that the Austrians are
ready to help themselves"
But DR.. Renner admitted that
Vienna, in selling her art treasures,
was renouncing, as it were, a portion
of her future.
The Gobelin tapestries, although
very important, are not SO valuable as.
the silver and fine china Of the state
Plate rooms or the contents Of the
palace treasury. Some Of the differ
ent experts appointed advise selling
the Nienese art treasures in the open
market. others are more in favor OF