The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-03-28

senior British port officer.
In the harbor American, Admiral bullaro
wos at the head of the American Haval nnairs
aboard the cruiser Birmingham. The Amer
lean force afioat consisted OF the -FOUR oe-
stroyers Stribling. Gregory, Luce ana Caesa.'
We heard that the Olympia, Admiral Deweys
fapship at the battle Of Manila bay ano
lately from the ice-bound Russian port Of Arch
angel, due to arrive In few Gays WIN an
outfit Of marines.
Food Prices Tumble.
"A to the people of Fiume, they were commenc-
Ing enjoy the fruits of peace, even though tner
town possessed a warlike aspect; the FOOD piocK-
ade had been broken and high prices had tum-
bed. With the arrival Of the first allied foodsnlps
the terrible war prices common In Fiume, as wen
as in other portions of Austria, became memory
The food control policy Of the Austrians. as we'll
MS the Germans had been fundamentally wrong
All through the war the rich could buy foodstuns
and could hoard, while the poor had to get along
the best way possible Prices consequently at
tained an unheard OF level
Rice, of which large quantities are consumed
even in peace times, cost $40 pound. and soon
after the armstice was signed dropped to 40 cents
a pound which was high enough, everyone granted
During the days wheat -four cost from -
to SO a pound beet sugar retailed at " pound;
corn -four cost - pound. Further north In Aus
tria prices were even higher.
On account of the shortage In the supply OF
linen and cotton goods the cost of these materials
also scared. Thread during the war, cost 1872
spool in Fiume. One linen sheet cost $175; suit
Of clothing made by tailor cost $6OO. and an Or
dinary cotton shirt cost $50. Shoes made Of leath
er and leather substitutes brought 1925. Tea and
coffee especially the latter which Is largely used
In the Balkans, cost $35 pound.
The death rate among the very young and the
very old was horrible during the war days. Not
only was the younger generation, born Just prior
70 the war; q great sufferer from the food short.
ago hut the babies born this year are physically
and mentally UNFIT. This is true not only in Fiume
and the Istrian peninsula, but throughout Hungary
and Austria men who had Investigated the situa-
t,on told me- American food experts verified the
statements.
In the minds eye Of Italian officials. Fiume Is
not war-ravaged city, but the beginning Of q
prosperous metropolis peopled by Italians largely
and open to the peoples Of the world.
italy sacrificed 100000 men killed in action, and
nearly a million wounded, In order to overcome
German domination through central Europe. and
also to restore to Italy some Of those lands that
are adjacent to the motherland.
The Italians advancing a strictly military
argument for possession Of Fiume and q part Of
the Damatian coast at least. Not only are these
lands largely peopled with Italians who speak the
language, but the lands themselves possess ad-
vantages In . military way that italy must take
Into consideration II she Is to develop into nrst
class nation.
From Trieste, down the coast Of the Adriatic to
Vaiona. the coastne IL rugged and contains scores
Of narbors and inlets which afford excellent shelter
10 enemy warcraft. The italian coast, from Venice
to Brindis On the other side Of the sea- IN onlv ve
hours steamns distance away for fast warshins
to defend