The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-02-12

~ eAA8nO0 " pAy sSS OSOss '" go
told ON every hand that any effort to
impose 4 tax would bring on a revolu'
ton. Il is said that her debt has
reached the startling figure of $64G
for every man. woman and child in
the country. When I left Cherbourg
to sail for America a regulation had
been put into effect prohibiting any
one leaving France from taking money
with him. either metal or paper money.
in excess Of a thousand francs, and
on that day you could buy almost nine
francs for an American dollar. Can
France pay7 The figures prove France
insolvent- Her officials and her men
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- Slovakia 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 were given so per cent Of 1t
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 bought kronens for
less than two cents q 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 profteers 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
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 pitifal.
Austria is penniless, proverty-strick-
en-. Vienna is q city of ghosts, list
less, pepless. human beings. They
drug their feet after them. Their
heads are bent between their shoul-
ders. The kronen was worth q cent
when 1 was there in September. and
even at that price there was prac-
tically nothing to buy. Austria In her
extremity, her people starving. peti-
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
thorns, as her dead is her cross Un-
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 6nd herself. She II 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
II planning for the tomorrow. She
must repair her house. put 1t In or
der. To understand her work. to
know her plans, to feel her problem.
It IL necessary to know her thoughts.
Unrest IL frightening her. Fear II
keeping her from work. 1t 10 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
quarreling she is pleading for their
common good. the family welfare. She
IL 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
theiE hearts, she sympathizes, she un-
derstands.
This was Europe A. I saw her in
her black rigs arising from the war.
Copyright. 1870. Western Newspaper Union)
Greatest American humoeist.
IN fho 2f)th of November in 1895,