Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-02-05
No. AZ

a The pound Is going down in value
When I was on the Continent it ha,
J reached S4.14. To-day it is under 1881
and steadily going down.
France is in even a worse plight
n The banks are loaded with government
paper. She has made no provision
I by taxation to pay her debt. l was
told on every hand that any effort tC
impose a tax would bring on revolu
tion. 1t is said that her debt has
, reached the startling figure of S64O
\ for every man, woman and child In
the country. when I left Cherbourg
to sail for America a regulation had
5 been put into effect prohibiting any
one leaving France from taking money
ia. ..!iu either metal or paper money,
% v.,'css of thousand francs, and
n that day YOU could buy almost nine
iraucs for an American dollar. Can
France pay? The figures prove France
inSoiyent 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 lira
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-SlOyaI,ia 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 80 per cent of it
back and receipts for the balance. In
this way the government cut down
the volume of paper money 90 per
cent. Even after this was done in the
city of Prague l bought kronens for
less than two cents 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 protiteers in
money smuggling have dumped the
worthless paper of Europe into Po-
land. In October | was in Warsaw
and my recollection is that the mark
was worth about two cents in Amer
lean money Poland has no metal
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 penhiess, proyerty strick-
n TienFa iSsa III. of ghosts list
ess, spepEsss hutsgif heiHgs. They
lrag their feet after them. Their
reads are bent between their shoul-
lers The kronen was worth a cent
when | was there in September, and
ven at that price there was prac-
ically nothing to buy. Austria in her
her people starving, peti-
ioned the peace table for the priv
ege of selling her art treasures and
eirooins. The plea was to exchange
lCA for bread and coal Necessity
rompted the plea. The peace table
used the permission, holding that
Iese things of value might he the
My collateral out of which the al
es could collect the indemnity.
Europe's debt is her crown OF
lorns, as her dead is her cross. I'm
st is her Calvary. A new Order is
4r hope-her resurrection.
Facing Gigantic Task.
Europe is not dying; she is ex.
lusted, tortured, confused. She is
wing TO find herself. She is putting
| of her remaining strength into the
fort. The task before her is stupen-
,us. She must rebuild her house.
le must nurse her wounded, care for
II crippcs She has counted her
sses, inventorled her possessions.
The past must bury its dead. To-
Drrow is for the living. Today she
planning for the tomorrow. She
1st repair her house, put it in or
r. To understand her work, to
ow her plans, to feel her problem,
is necessary to know her thoughts.
Unrest is frightening her. Fear Is
eping her from work 1t is causing
+ to worry. With all her soul she
pleading to the rich and powerful
become as little children again,
+ children. She is telling them that
, fate of the family is at stake, that
=
re unfortunate brothers. She is
ing to make them understand that
" are brothers. Many of them
'e forgotten the relationship. Wheni
urges them to stop wrangling and
lrreling she is pleading for their
lmon good, the family welfare. She
warming against the danger of JUS
too long denied of unrest too long
t up. She is transatng the NUT
ngs and mumhlings of the d!scon-
ted. She knows the complaint in
If hearts, she sympathizes, size un-
stands.
his was Europe as | saw her in
black rags arising from the war.
wright 1920, western Newspaper Union)