Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-02-06

Paris, Thursday, Feb. 5.-Linrerine
starvation is facing the Austrian. re.
punlic, the plight, of which has grown
considerable worse in the last two
months. said DR.. Lowenfeld-R Russ,
austrian state secretary Of food ad-
mtnistration. to the Associated Press
oday. DR.. Lowenfeld-R Russ took a
very gloomy view OF the situation and
pointed U the absolute necessity Of
obtaining immediate relief.
Relief granted in December by the
supreme council when importations Of
flour to Austria were ordered" DR..
Lowenfeld-R Russ said, "postnoned to =
certain extent the food crisis but was
far from giving definite safety to the
country. The general food situation
can be characterized as lingering star
Walton. Our necessities SO far as -four
IS concerned are covered until the
hrst OF March, but this is only provid-
ing transports arrive in time.
No Chance to Buy.
Depreciation of our currency.
which has fallen in Switzerland to
less than two per cent of its original
value deprives us of every possibility
Of buying foQd>in the worlds market
A dollar. which was worth five crowns
before the war, is now worth $50
crowns and thus we have to pay for
importations sixty times their pre-
war value. without counting the great
increase in prices, wen in America.
Our government has tried for some
time to counterbalance price differ
ences for our people by making it
partly a state charge but our means
are exhausted. There is now no other
alternative than to make the Gus
toner pay full prices but our poor
population cannot afford to buy even
the small rations we are able to dis
tribute.
People Starving.
General under-nutrition in. the. big
towns. especially Vienna, is the, con-
makes the situation still worse and all
relief measures undertaken, especially
by Americans, a bring no effective
help. Mortality figures regarding
children have reached fantastic
heights. There is no remedy for this
situation except the granting of suf-
fcient credits for along term. BY
such means we would be able to buy
foodstufs at reasonable prices and
perhaps improve the rate of exchange.
The motion brought before the Ameri-
can senate for the extension of credits
to Austria is u only ray of hope in
this directionrsbut the situation is SO.
,badfin Austria we cannot wait until
these credits are granted or until food
stuifs bought with their aid will arrive
in Europe.
Appeal for Help.
1.-The presence Of Herr Reusch and
myself in Paris is for the purpose of
pointing out to the ~reparations COM
the necessity for immediate
to prevent complete inter-
ruption OF the food supply. The Aus
TRAN government is aware that def
mite improvement of the situation
cannot be obtained by credits. Real
can be obtained only on
the basis of a general economic pro-
a which would give ys, opportun-
ity Of supplying our country With coal
and raw materials.
IF we can bring production to 4
higher level, If our currency improves
and the expense attending food im-
decreases, we will be able
to buy food imports and Atari again
independent economic life. Neither
the government nor the nation is sat
isfied with playing the part of a beg
gar. They want to esestablish the
economic situation by their own work.
but in order to achieve this purpose
it is absolutely necessary that they be
granted necessary subsidies up to the
moment when material resurrection
be possible"