Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-05-06
POLAND LAND
OF CONTRASTS
Calling Poverty on One Hand,
Riches on Other.
Cafe CROWDS ARE brilliant
High Prices Cause Strangers to Won
der How People Manage to Live
Long Queues of Men, Women and
Children Stand in Cold, Sieet and
Snow outsIde Food Relief Stations
Waiting for Bread.

AS land Of striking contrasts Po-
land with her new won freedom is
without an equal today. On one hand
is display of wealth, midnight sup
pers and revelry; on ne Hther hand
is CALLING poverty, hunger and ENACT
ated arms held out imploring for aid.
There is u great scarcity of milk and
the price of it Is exorbita,'t but there
always is fresh whilne,i cream for
your coffee, while II lad, weak of bod,
and hupger-piGchcd face an' clogs 50
worn that he slips on tie he covered
pavement, pushes u h"n' cart filled
with milk in bottles finm house to
house seeking customers.
Fuel, too, IS scarce and nnly the
wealthy can bnf rou!, but the hot
water In your aparlme't ut II hotel
may run to waste all day and no one
will tell you to turn 1t OFT. In florists
windows exotic plants blopih, while
outside the streets are slippery with
their covering of Ice aud snow is
banked high.
Sell American Cigarettes,
Tobacco is scarce. but In every hO-
,el lobby there are boys with pack
ages of American Red Cross cigarettes,
which they offer for sale at Is shil-
lnas for a package Of twenty,
Clothing Is scarce and expensive.
tut one sees many well dressed men
and handsomely gowned women while
writers In cafes and restaurants have
abolished tips" and dress suits as
sGy"ring of the bourgeois. and have
purcha sed lounge suits ut $40 each.
And while men and women of
wealth dine and wine in these places,
outside at the food relief stations
there stand long queues of men, wonf-
en- and children in the cold and the
Sleet and snow waiting for bread.
How do they do 1t? How do the
poor live? These are questions any
stranger here would ask. The answer
IS not easy for cabinet minister's
salary is only f1OO month; clerk
gets IA a month. Bread costs two
shillings a loaf Il pair of boots f2O,
cup OF chocolate As. 3d.; a sweater
and knitted skirt, fS4; table
dhote luncheon of Soup, entree and
an ice, FL 2s., with la carte prices
as follows: Hors d'oeuvres, los;
soup, IS. Cd. omelet, 9s. outlet, los;
slice of turkey, las; spinach. Is, com.
pote of fruit. los Il bottle of claret,
los.
Mark Worth Half a Penny,
The Polish mark, nominelly worth
Is. Cd, now rs worth half penny,
and the Pole can only earn Polish
marks. Therefore many Poles who re-
turned here from America when the
new Poland arose now are trying to
return to the United States.
Meanwhile, the Pole Is waiting for
something to happen. He knows that
present conditions cannot last always
that they cannot endure.
But while 1t lasts Warsaw presents
curious sights. striking contrasts-bit-
ter frosts. radiant sun, biting wind
and dust storms; glorious sunsets and
snow. 1t is a busy, constantly NOV
ing city. with rooms almost unobtain-
uDIe at VIC lotClS, WIN otSFN N''''
packed like the subway trains at the
rush hours in New York; with cafes
filled with brilliant crowds, dining and
winning, while the orchestras play won
derful music. To-day this Ia a city of
men of all nations; Of handsome WON
en- in rich gowns and furs, and sham
bling, pinched faced beggars who beg
crumb Of bread.
And yet, with all its contrasts, War
saw, and all Poland, has high con-
seriousness of freedom and pride of pa
triotism. Enormous possibilities are
here. and only constructive states
manship Is needed to develop them,
to weld the scattered ends of life to-
gether; to rehabilitate Poland, to
make her great productive unit Of
world production and commerce, and,
If necessary, to make her an effective
barrier between bolshevism and well
ordered government