Evening star., 1920-02-08
VIENNA PRESENTS
VIVID CONTRASTS
Luxury and ReckIesst Spend
ing on One Hand; Starva-
ton on the Other.

VIENNA, January II (CorresDeod-
ence Of the Associated PreSB)-The
authorities recently authorized the
population to cut and take from the
emma as much wood as could be borne
on the 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.
that, with the complete destruction
of one superb forest park Of $50
acres. only fraction Of the wood
| went as intended. while organized
| bands of profiteers cut and sold 2o,-
| 100000 crowns worth.
The incident is typical Of profiteer-
ing conditions in this capital. The pa
pers daily report the frustrated or
successful smuggling In and out Of the
country Of contrabahd articles and
commodities. A band of Spanish
smugglers recently were caught on
the southern ffontiss with and large dran
which they were trying to take out
III automobiles. The low exchange
value Of the Austrian crown makes
smuggling a tempting game and men
take desperate chances. The frontiers
are guarded closely and every one is
/
| Masses Hungry and Cold.
| Money can still buy any necessity
or any luxury here. While the mass
Of the people are hungry and cold and
ill-clad, the splendid hotels and
restaurants continue SO crowded that
it is Impossible to be served unless a
reservation is made for q table. In
crowns the prices are fabulous. A
simple meal costs the months salary
of an office man, yet proflteers and
alien SPECTATORS throng them as well
as the cabarets and night amusement
places of all Kind.
On the one hand is luxury and
reckless spending and on the other
starvation. 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 Is crowns daily of out
lened strikes bring enormous increase.
of pay, and. PROSTATE under it all
Is the middle class, the professiona
! and clerical ranks. who have ethel
organization nor resource. They ar
not entitled to out-of-work pay MOI
incomes.
Vienna presents curious contrasts
Nearby is a shop once famous for 1T
ldeficacies. Its windows are dressed
with timed salmon. a few sardines
both to be had only on fat ratioi
card, some imitation liquors ant
scaly looking bonbons.
No Food Supplies Exhibited.
In the great shopping streets o
the inner city the windows are fillet
with magnificent furs, works Of art
tailored costumes. dainty silks ant
other women's wear. jewels and othe
!articles de luxe. But for sturd!
clothing for shoes and woolens, 70
those things that populace need
in a hard winter cline. for fats ant
ma in vain. A diamond or rare paint
ing. tapestry or sable coat, daint!
glassware or exquisite leather ant
porcelain things can be found in tn
| Karnestrasse or the Graben. or tn
smart shop streets that radiate from
them, but the owner Of any one Q
them will sell you more readily 70
bacon. -four or sugar than for crowns
Recently many shops have refuse'
to sell except for established for
eign moneys, although such pro
cedure is in direct violation OF tn
law. -.
foreign money will be cashed in 1t
own bureau, but this means nothin,
as effecting private transactions Il
banks and with money changers
Some day these will give from tel
to twenty points more or less thai
the oficial rate, according to thei
own Judgment Of conditions' ,tiss's rdass, Thsr
! changers in cafes, hotel corridors ant
in the side streets of IL 'ourse
often netting millions OF > pu
the game goes on.