Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-06-10
HOW EUROPE CAN
ESCAPE COLLAPSE
European Ruin Would Involve
AnreriCa.--Starvati0n and
Disease Rampant.
GRAVE MENACE TO U. S. A.
Outline of Speech by Henry P.
Dawson Before N. E. Con-
ference, Des MOines.

Des Molnes, Iowa.-Spaaking before
the general conference Of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church. Henry P.
Governors Of the League OF Red Cross
Societies, said:
AS chairman OF the convention OF
Red Cross Societies, composed OF
representatives, of twenty-seven ma
tons that met recently in Geneva, l
am custodian Of authoritative reports
recording appalling conditions among
millions Of people living in eastern
Europe.
One OF the most terrible tragedies
in the history of the human race is
being enacted within the broad belt
Of territory lying between the Baltic
and the Black and Adriatic seas.
This arear includes the new Baltic
states-Poland, Czecho Slovakia, the
Ukraine, Austria, Hungary, Roumania,
Montenegro, Albania and Serbia.
The reports which come to US make
it clear that in these war ravaged
lands civilization has broken down,
disease, bereavement and suffering
are present in practically every house
hold, while food and clothing are in
sufficient to make life tolerable
Wholesale starvation is threatened
in Poland this summer unless she can
procure food supplies In large guam
titles. There are now approximately
$4,000 cases OF typhus in Poland and
in the area occupied by Polish troops.
Worst Typhus Epidemic In History.
This Is already one OF the worst
typhus epidemics in the worlds his
tory. In Galicia whole towns are
crippled and business suspended. In
some districts there Is but one doctor
to each 10000. In the Ukraine, we
were told typhus and Influenza have
affected most of the population.
A report from Vienna dated Febru-
airy IL said: There are rations for
three weeks. Death stalks through
the streets of Vienna and takes unhin-
dered toll"
In Serbia typhus has broken out
again and there are but 200 physi-
clans to minister to the needs of that
entire country.
In Montenegro where food is run
ming short there are but Ave physi.
clans for a population OF 100000.
Returning to the United States q
few weeks ago with all these horrors
ringing in my ears, found myself
once more in a land whose granaries
were overlooking, where health and
plenty abounded and where Life and
activity and eager enterprise we're In
the full flood.
asked myself: What II this
plague and famine were here in the
great territory between the Atlantic
seaboard and the Mississippi valley,
which roughly parallels the extent OF
these ravaged countries and that Co..
O00,0 Of our own people condemned
to idleness by lack OF raw material
and whose fields had been devastated
by starvation and pestilence and II
we had lifted up our voices and In.
voked the attention Of our brothers
in happier Europe to our, own deep
miseries and our cries had fallen on
deaf ears, would we not in our de-
spair exclaim against their heartless.
ness.
Only Three Ways to Help Europe.
There are only three ways by
which these stricken lands can Sc
cure supplies from the outside world.
One is by payment, one by credit,
and the third is by exchange OF com.
modities. II these peoples tried to
buy materials and supplies in America
at the present market value OF their
currencies, Austria would have to pay
forty times the original cost. Ger.
many thirteen times, Greece Just
double, Czecho Slovakia fourteen
times and Poland fifty times. These
figures are official and are true In
dex OF the economic plight of these
countries.
1t is clear. therefore that they can
not give US gold for the things they
must have nor have they either pro-
ducts or securities to offer in return
for credit II only they could obtain
raw material which these idle mil
lions Of theirs could convert into
manufactured products they would
have something to tender the world
in return for its raw material, food
and medicine. But IL they have
neither money or credit, how are they
to take this great step towards re-
demption?
One-half the world may not eat
while the other half starves. How
long do you believe the plague of. ty-
phus that is taking a hideous death