The Washington herald., 1921-01-11
w. KUGEL, DUTCH VISITOR,
DEPICTS EUROPE,s TRIALS.

DEPICTS EURoPE's TRIALS.
Europe, although suffering abject
misery in many countries as an
aftermath of the world war, II look
Ing forward to new era as the re-
suit of the conviction that material
ism has, failed, w. Kugel. of Amster-
dam, Holland, declared when seen
yesterday at the Washington. ....
Kugel, who represents the dia-
nond trading Arm Of w. Friedman's,
with headquarters at Amsterdam
and branches in Belgium, London.
Paris. New York. Cuba, Mexico, Aus
tralia, British India, Dutch Indies,
and 'Japan,says that this new spirit
is reflected in Dutch art of the post
war school.
'Theosophical ideas are every
where prevalent in Europe and their
influence is perceptible in the, new
tendencies in music, literature and
the drama" he said. There is a
growing realization that mankind
must look to something more
permanent than material prosperity
and a materialistic conception OF the
universe. The horror and brutality
OF the war has shown the failure of
materialism. Thinkers are cropping
Tor something that promises more
than the material progress held up
to the world by Germans sophists as
the ultimate good and so We md
these strivings after the truth re-
hected in Dutch art and music"
kugel has just returned from a
land and Italy. and was impressed.
with the terrible poverty of the peo-
Piles of Central Europe.
Conditions in Austria beggsr
description" asserted Kugel, "alI
classes, high and low. are suffering
from want. The intellectual classes,
represented by the college profess
sors, teachers and government Of
hcials are suffering most.
Austrian Capital I'm PitiabIe State.
Vienna is now in a pitiabIe state,
oVercrowded as it is with one-half
the population of the Central EN-
pires. Conditions were aggravated
by the influx of all officials who
formerly were identified with I he
government OF both Austria and
Hungary. This means that in the
capital. alone. there are now 30O,-
900 officials, many of the old re-
gime. These people are a veritable
incubus upon the already sadly
burdened population.
college professors. musicians,
and actors are in great want Only
the day before l left Vienna l was
talking with a brilliant Austrian
musician who had been gradually
reduced to pawning his watch
This will keep me four weeks he
declared solemnly-'after that, I
shall take my pistol and end it ALL"
Professor Margulin. an eminent
scientist CONNECTED with the
Meteorological Observatory of vi
emma, permitted himself to starve
to death several months ago. He
was too proud to beg, KugeI said,
and like many others of his class
succumbed to the inevitable. His
yearly pension and sole income was
1000 crowns or 81.
These conditions may be appre-
ciated. Kugel says, when we realize
that today an Austrian working
man receives from 10000 to $4,000
crowns per year, while a college
professor receives but $4,000
crowns. At the present rate of ex-
change. $4,000 crowns amount to
just about forty-eight American
dollars
Many Austrians made money
during the war, but their gains
mean little now" said KugeI. They
are selling their art treasures in
order to buy bread. The famous
Austrian Gobelins have been pawn
ed to the Dutch government for
food.
"A man who enjoyed an annual
income OF 100000 crowns. or ST.
100000, before the war. now has an
income of approximately 250,OOO
crowns, or $4,000, which at the
present rate of exchange, Kugel
says, has a purchasing power of
about S400! So even the man Of
wealth must part with all in order
to live.
Landlords have been absolutely
ruined" said Kugel. Prohibited
by the government from raising
rentals, their incomes have been
reduced in proportion to the decline
in the purchasing power of their
money"