The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-01-12
by SIR WILLIAM GOODE

Who is Now Occupying q Similar
Post to That Vacated BY Herbert
c. Hooyer.1
London, Jan. 10.--My recent tour
Of Europe has convinced me that the
situation is even worse than l antici-
pated. First and foremost OF the
causes of distress Is the delay in max
ing peace. !.
It scarcely seems to be realized
that Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and
Turkey are still technically at war
with the allies. and what is moro Inn
portant. at war with most OF their
netghbors.
AZ one approaches the frontiers one
finds every little wayside station
packed with soldiers, bayonets fxed.
and railway sidings congested with
ammunition effects of preparedness
for war, are yisualized for miles ~
one travels through these countries.
Locomotives from one country dare
not bulge across the frontier Of an
other; whole trains are liable to be
seized the moment they come within
the grasp Of q neighboring army The
only safeguard for a supply train
saw was the presence OF a solitary
British Tommy. who, perched on the
cabooee and knowing no language
but his own, but freely enjoying the
freedom of riding without warrant or
ticket, plactdly escorted the few ex-
changes OF food which had 50 far en-
abled several Of the countries to keep
body and soul together.
ON VERGE OF CRU1IBx4NG
Central Europe n on the verge OF
crumbling. and altogether 1t 10 =
gloomy political outlook.
First aid u TO hasten peace. Pro-
fessor Masaryk. the able president Of
the Allied Republic Of C1echo -Slova-
kia. whom ! saw recently ut Prague
put the case In . nutshell when he
said: 1T is question OF the export
of merchandise or OF population.
Ii the peoples OF ths new allied and
other nations cannot obtain foreign
credits for raw materials with which
to start their industries they viii be
forced TO emigrate to other countries
DEMAND DUTY ON RELIEF FOOD
The other day. on the Jugo-6iav
frontier. trains of food supplies ar
ranged BY the allied RELIEF missions,
and all properly paid tor by the Aus
TRAN government. were ON their way
to mitigate starvation In Vienna Al
the very last moment the Juyo-Slav
government clapped on an export
duty of 40 per cent and refused to
permit the trains TO 20 forward unless
that tax was paid ia foreign exchange.
venture to take international law
into my own hands, and, thanks to
the resourcefuiness and intrepidity Of
q couple OF young British army Of
6cers. those trains arrived In Vienna.
Ali the economic chaos and demori-
aliEAtion OF communications inevitably
makes for human suffering. In Serbia
alone II is estimated there are 500. 900
fatherless children, most OF whom are
suffering from malnutrition and ex-
posture. and at least IS per cent OF the
population have tuberculosis.
TUBERCULOSIS DOUBLES
In Hungary the British relief rep
resentatfve reports that tuberculosis
has increased 100 per cent; that out
OF the 1900 hospital beds in Buda-
pest more than 5000 are occupied by
children, and that about rs per cent
of the younger children out of hos
pitai are suffering from ricketts,.
I have myself recently returned
from Vienna feei - II I had spent
ten days In the cell OF condemned
OF reprieye. stayed 1t the best hotel,
but I saw no milk and no eggs the
whole time WAS there.
In the bitter cold hall. once the
gayest rendezvous in Europe, the
visitors huddlea together In the gloom
Of one light whore there used to be
forty. They were more like the shAd-
ows OF the Embarkment than repre-
sentatives OF the rich.
In Z room had taken N IN OF.
Ace I determined to get wood enough
to light the small nre for two days- II
cost me 80 crowns. which. to the
yicnnese. Ii still equivalent to about
$50 or tt00. Do you wonder that
ing their furniture. to light their
stoves? Can you imagine how the
poor live or try to live?
1t Is not unusual to rec the trafac
In one OF the main streets which
leads to the cemetery held up by
hearses- -Nine-tenths carry the bodies
OF children.
1t seems to me that ron cannot
tribe with starvation and privatioa In
Central Europe, such an prevails to-
day In Vienna, without running the
risk Of a carnival OF anarchy. which
would probably not be confined to the
European continent. do not want to
cry wolf" and ann inclined 70 think
that so-cAlicd Bolahevism has been
used too much N . DOGGY, but any
ono with haif an eye must realize
that II, N result OF apparently ie-
climate grievances, forces Of unrest
are loosed in the heart OF Europe tho
whole world--the United States an
well az EngiAnd--will be menaced.
EFFORT AT REMEDY
Do not think that nothing remedial
is being done. The situation would
be infinitely worse had II not been
for the magnificent relief work &C.