New-York tribune., 1920-02-01
PrOfiteers Get
Wood Allotted
Vienna's Poor
Only a Fraction of Superb
Forest Park Destroyed for
Fuel Goes as Munich
pal Authorities Intended
Poor Hungry, Rich Feast
All Kinds Of Luxnries Are
Available if One Has the
Cash to Pay High Prices

VIENNA, Jan 12-The authorities
recently authorized tho population to
cut and take from the municipal for
ests that surround Vienna as much
wood as could be borne on tho back
three times weekly. The plan was
meant to meet the pressing need of
people who could not buy or obtain
from the public ration enough fuel to
cook with.
A fortnight's experiment. showed
that, with the complete destruction of
one superb forest park of $50 acres,
only q fraction of the wood went as
intended, while organized bands Of
prohteers cut and sold 10000, 900
crowns worth
The incident is typical OF profiteer-
ing conditions in this capital The
papers daily report the frustrated or
successful smuggling in and out of the
country of contraband articles and
commodities. A band of Spanish SUNG
glers recently were caught on the
southern frontier with large quantities
Of gold, silver and platinum, which
they were trying to take out in auto
mobiles. The low exchange value of
the Austrian crown makes smuggling
Il tempting game and men take desper-
ate chances. The frontiers are guard
ed closely and every one searched,
but the left-hand trade is unchecked
Masses Hungry. Wealthy Feast
Money still can buy any necessary
or any luxury here. While the mass
ii the people are hungry and cold and
IL clad, the splendid hotels and restau-
rants continue so crowded that it is
impossible to be served unless a res
srvation is made for g table. In
crowns, the prices are fabulous. A
ample meal costs the months salary
Of an Office man, yet profiteers and
alien spectators throng them as well
IS the cabarets and night amusement
places of all kinds.
On the one hand is luxury and reck-
less spending and on the other starva
ton. The swarms of street beggars
increase, men, women and children,
with their insistent appeals. The
cheaper coffee houses are filled from
opening to closing with those drawing
their fifteen crowns daily of out-of-
work subsidy. Strikes and threatened
strikes bring enormous increases of
pay, and pros rate under L all is the
middle class, the profes ional and cler~
zeal ranks, who have neither organiza-
ton nor resource. They are not en-
titled to out-of-work pay nor enabled
in any way 70 increase their Incomes
Vienna presents curious contrasts
Near hy is a snoe once amous for IFS
deiicacies. It's windows are dressed
with timed salmon, few sardines,
both to be had only on fat ration
card some imitation liquors and scsly
looking bonbons.
Luxuries Fill Shops
IN. the great shopping streets OF she
inner city the windows are filled with
magnificent furs, works of art, tailored
costumes, dainty silks and other
'Vomens wear, jewels and other articles
3e luxe But for sturdy clothing, for
hoes and wooden, for those things that
populace needs IN hard winter
cline, for fats and flour and sugar, one
San search Vienna in vain.
A di 9mond or q rare painting, tapestry
or sable coat,dainty glassware or ex-
quisite leather and porcelain thinrs
can be found in the Karnestrasse or the
Grab n, ,r the smar, shop streets that
radiate from them, bat the owner of
any one Of them will sell you more
readily for bacon -four or sugar than
for crowns. Recently many shops have
refused to sell except for established d
foreign moneys, although such pro-