The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-02-13

In excess of a thousand fraRcs, and
on that day you could buy almost nine
francs for an American dollar. Can
France pay7 The figures prove France
insolyent. Her officials and her men
of prominence say she cannot pay,
Her war debt is enormous.
Poverty on Every Side.
Italy is as bankrupt as France. A
forced loan temporarily held the Ira
from losing all OF Its value. Her war
debt threatens the throne.
In the new Balkan countries we find
no gold reserve, little but poverty. In
Czecho- SIovakia the government closed
the borders for ten days, commanded
the people to bring their money to the
banks where stamps were put on the
bills. When they brought their money
they We're given so per cent of it
back and receipts for the balance. In
this way the government cut down
the volume of paper money so per
cent. Even after this was done in the
city of Prague l bought kronens for
less than two cents a piece.
In Poland every kind and species OF
paper money is in circulation. Her
frontiers have not been fixed by the
peace table, and the profiteers in
money smuggling have dumped the
worthless paper of Europe into Po-
land. In October was in Warsaw
and my recollection is that the MARI
Oh fo in
lean money. Poland has no metal
money. She hasn't a gold reserve.
Her struggle to get credit to keep her
people from dying by the millions
from hunger and cold is pitiful.
Austria is penniless, proFerty-strick-
en-. Vienna is a city of ghosts, list
less, pepless, human beings. They
drag their feet after them. Their
heads are bent between their Shout
ders. The kronen was worth cent
when / was there in September, and
even at that price there was prac-
tically nothing to buy. Austria in her
extremity, her people starving, petit
toned the peace table for the priv
ilege of selling her art treasures and
heirlooms. The plea was to exchange
them for bread and coal. Necessity
prompted the plea. The peace table
refused the permission, holding that
these things of value might be the
only collateral out of which the al
lies could collect the indemnity.
Europe's debt is her crown of
fhorns, as her dead is her cross. IN
rest is her Calvary. A new Order Is
her hope-her resurrection.
Facing Gigantic Task.
Europe is not dying; she is ex-
hausted, tortured, confused. She is
trying TO find herself. She is putting
all of her remaining strength into the
effort. The task before her is stupen-
dous. She must rebuild her house.
She must nurse her wounded, care for
her cripples. She has counted her
losses, inventoried her possessions.
The past must bury its dead. To-
morrow is for the living. Today she
is planning for the tomorrow. She
must repair her house. put it in or
der. To understand her work, to
know her plans, to feel her problem,
it is necessary to know her thoughts.
Unrest is frightening her. Fear is
keeping her from work. 1t is causing
her to worry. With all her soul she
is pleading to the rich and powerful
to become as little children again,
her children. She is telling them that
the fate of the family is at stake, that
they must make concessions to their
more unfortunate brothers. She is
trying to make them understand that
they are brothers. Many of them
have forgotten the relationship. When
she urges them to stop wrangling and
,quarreIing she is pleading for their
common good, the family welfare. She
is warning against the danger of jus
tice too long denied, of unrest too long
pent up. She is translating the NUT
terings and mumblings of the discon-
tented. She knows the complaint in
their hearts, she sympathizes, she un-
derstands.
This was Europe as / saw her in
her black rags arising from the war
Copyright 1890, Western Newspaper union)
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Greatest American Humorist.