The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-23
.EXTRAVACANCE and
STARVATION IS seen
IN VIENNESE CROWDS
(By Associated Press)


VIENNA, Feb. 2S.-Vulgar display OF
extravagance in food and clothing is
nightly picture at the gay restaurants
here while only few blocks away
hungry and scantily-clothed persons
are being poorly fed in community
kitchens. Visitors to Vienna are shock
ed by this paradoxical economic condi-
ton. Others are either hardened to
the contradictory sights or, in their
inability to alter either extreme, can
only shut their eyes to them.
Crowded theaters and operas at ire
mendously advanced prices, concerts
sold out in advance, masked ball fol-
lowing masked ball in an endless riot
against the coming of Lent, cabarets
whose risque dancers would bring out
the police in New York and where
nothing to drink but wine is served,
cafes and restaurants with never an
empty table, not room to be had in
the big hotels whose prices go up
from week to week-that is one pic
ture. On its reverse, foreign relief
straining itself and demanding unceas.
ing contributions in aid of suffering
populace.
Claim Presence OF Strangers.
Viennese claim that in all these re.
sorts where display and expenditure of
the most vulgar kind are evidenced
not one real Austrian can be found,
that they have not the money. They
say they are supported by the horde
Of profiteers of every race and every
nationality that infest and infect the
city.
A recent demonstration of the popu.
lace is acknowledged to have been in
spired by this prodigal display of ex.
fravagance and ready money on the
Fart of this small element of the popu-
lation.
The workingmen demand the gov
eminent shall suppress profiteering
and eliminate the sheba (profiteering
wholesaler or middIeman) and the
sleichandler Gllicit trader) in an effort
to lower the daily mounting cost of
living, else they will undertake to do
so on their own account. They car.
ried a miniature gallows in a recent
demonstration.
Appearances Harm City.
The authorities and thoughtful Aus.
TRANS acknowledge that this superb
cial froth of extravaganza and display
Is doing great harm to the city and
tho country. Casual travellers who
spend a few days in the inner city,
visit these gorgeous resorts and see
the high-class restaurants crowded at
every meal, tea dances in the after.
noon, exceptionally well dressed men
and women and the display of furs and
jewels and articles of luxury in the
shop windows probably unexcelled in
any capital, are hard to convince that
beneath this veneer lies widespread
privation and in certain strata actual
bitter suffering.
Some 100000 children are being fed
one nourishing meal a day by Ameri
can charity. Through American aid
the hospitals are being refurnished
with long absent necessities. Nearly
100000 Austrian children are charity
guests in other countries. Indeed the
J. charity of all non-suffering peoples is
being extended bountifully to this
country regardless of creed or race
and all investigators who dig deeply
into conditions acknowledge it Is
needed.
But not infrequently the visitor, es
pecially the American. when he is told
this, gaZes on the evidence of wealth
and well-being about him and remarks
that it might be well to spend some
OF this money at home instead of de
manding aid from other lands. One
answer is that this phase of Vienna
life brings money in and keeps it cir
culating. Another is that the temper
ament OF people must be considered