The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-05-04
A Pitiable Condition.

Austria, once one Of the most power
full nations in the world. is only pitt
able remnant at present and her people
are literally starving This is especial
ly true Of the great city of Vienna,
where conditions are truly pathetic,
There Is nothing royal or imperial about
the city. Once the show place Of Eu-
rope, that everyone strove 10 see and
become, with the Shakespoarean char
actSr, "a locker in Vienna" hunger
and squalor and suffering have crowd
ed out fashion and festivity.
The great Palaces are deserted, the
shops and emporums are closed or
without merchandise, They have moth
ing to sell and there are no buyers
The Hapsburg dynasty. the oldest and
prondest in Europe. IL no more, and
not even its ghost revisits the once
familiar scenes. The people have no
food and can produce none, nor create
commercial commodities which can be
exchanged for food. They are like rats
In trap.
Before the war Austria was rich and
prosperous, but her fifty-ftve millions
have dwindled TO four or five millions
She has been deprived Of her coal and
oil lands, her ports, her farm lands,
her cattle and her great industries. No
one Will help her and she cannot heip
herself. She has plenty Of money
the banks are stuffed and giutted with
nnoney--but 1t is not worth counting
or carrying away. The kronen used to
be worth between twenty-three and
twenty four cents American money. To-
day II is worth one-auarter OF a cent
An American dollar with purchase 400
ltronen, or crowns A 5000 kronen sal
AIRY is insufficient to live on.
Hoover committees are feeding some
a. 900 children under fifteen in Vienna
Those over fifteen are dying Of starva-
ton, dropping in tho streets and alleys
or yielding up the ghost in squahd
homes. Old and young are starving
and there is no relief in sight. NO coal
no oil, no food, no raw material and
no raw food. and no way to cook 1t,
A suite OF rooms--as many as you want
--oan be had in the emperor's or any
other palace for a rental Of seven dol
lars a month. and there are no tenants.
Austria psss 90 have moro kings
and kinglets and Kings kinsfolk, dukes
and counts and royalists than any coun-
try on the globe, and these loafers lived
and fattened for centuries on the unre-
quilted labor OF the masses, Such as
could have escaped 10 other countries,
many Of them coming to this country,
and II one is not careful he is liable 20
be shaved by an Austrian duke and
manicured by a duchess,
The masses can not leave. They are
chained down by poverty, and must
meet starvation with whatever philoso-
ply they can summon. The people are
capable and willing to work, but the
peace conference has imposed harder
conditions on them than on Germany,
the arch sinner. Relieved OF the burden
of their army and navy and royalty
the people could soon find themselves
and become supporting II given a
chance, but the peace conference will
not have 1t so. 1t may be a just retri- |
button, but the trouble is that 1t falls
on the masses who have been suffering
all along. while the real culprits have
escaped to other countries where they
can at least find something to eat,
and are in no danger Of meeting the
common fate OF the oppressed masses
who are starving Some sort Of divinity
hedges them in and protects them. A
similar condition OF affairs on a smaller
scale exists in other countries.
These suffering people should he re-
heved and given chance to become
producers They can not pay today,
but they should be extended credit until
they can get on their feet. They can
and will pay some time not in money,
perhaps, hut in the products Of the
labor of their hands, II their hands are
given something productive 20 do. Hu-
mainly should not permit sTch suffer
ing. and the peace conference should
relax the terrible rigIdity OF its rules
to the end that suffering peoples may
be made self supporting. and enabled
TO live out tho lives that God has given
them to their normal close. 1t is heart
breaking TO think OF millions NJ women
and little children slowly dying Of star
walton, and conditions should be-
changed. Countries governments may
have sinned. but the masses are guilty
OF nothing but loyalty and what they
considered patriotism
We complain Of the high cost OF jIy-
ing in this country. and living is high,
but there is at least plenty TO eat at
some price Countries that are with
out food should b. the concern OF th"
more fortunate nations, The war is
now over and even the greatest sinners
among them are entitled to ufe and the
means OF living.
Vienna, with its ESQ, 900 hungry pco-
pie, should be fed and put to work
Charity can not do 1t, but business can,
and outside countries should be per
mitted to open up business relations
with the masses VI AUSTRIA.