Great Falls tribune., 1921-08-22
The HQski,1 Letter . r;sRs : ss;
PATHETIC APPEALS FROM AUSTRIA
country people are unable to help one

country people are unable to help one
another"
These are all fair samples Of the
begging mail coming from the postal
employees alone of the late enemy ter
ritory. Another letter, this one from
postal employee in Vienna, gives fig
ures which show with what the poor
people of the old empires capital have
to contend. This man, merely clerk
in the Vienna office, with sick moth
er and an aged father dependent upon
his meagre salary, said it was hardly
possible for him to purchase provisions
for the family Of three, and that buy
ing clothing was altogether out of the
question. Old shoes patched up with
wooden soles fashioned roughly with a
knife have to take the place of proper
footgear. Outworn and threadbare
clothes must be made to suffice.
Here are some of the current prices
for necessities in Vienna. according
to this letter a, kilogram Of fat equal
normally worth about 80: single egg
kilogram of meat ranges from 200 to
$50 crowns. Clothing prices are so
far out of reach that only one is quot
ed. A shirt. the letter said, may not
be purchased for less than from $40
to 7SO crowns.
America Comparatively Well Off.
America came out of the World war
with few bruises in comparison with
many of the other belligerent nations.
The death toll of American boys is a
loss which nothing can replace, and
nothing can ever square the accounts
for the hundreds Of manned and blind
ed youths who gave the best of life to
halt the Hun.
But today, though American business
is not booming as it was at the high
tide of war activity. though there is
necessarily a tax burden to pay Nhe
cost of the war, the United States is
far better off economically than any
one of the principal belligerents in the
struggle. Japan's part in the war did
not entail sufficient effort to class it
with America, England, France, Italy
or the enemy group of nations.
England. having tremendous for
eign debt in addition to its internal OBJ
jects, is in such financial condition that
Washington asking that the British
debt to the United States be forgiven.
British statesmen. with the Irish crisis
on their hands and deep in the whirl-
pool of after-the-war European poll
tics, only few weeks ago announced
plans for great increases in the Eng
lish navy. further addition to Bri-
tain S debt.
France is in worse shape than Eng
land. still maintaining great stand
ing army to throw into any adjacent
territory in order that the peace terms
shall be enforced. Italy is suffering
tremendous financial depression caus-
ed by it's great expenditures of wealth
during the colossal struggle.
But the plight Of these nations is
anything but dreary compared to the
plight in which the Central Powers now
are. Germany, the leader of the enc
my nations in the world war. is not as
badly off as the disntegrated parts of
the old Austro- Hungarian empire. Aus
tria itself is threatened with bank
ruptcy, but the worst thing is the ter
rible aftermath facing every man.
woman. and chld-the lack Of sufficient
food to sustain even subnormal life.
Weakened by hunger. thousands of
the people fall easy prey to disease.
the starved bodies of the elderly and
of children being particular targets for
epidemics. Despite the most heroic
efforts of the American relief organiza-
tions and other helping hands extended
from nearly everywhere, the situation
is still an appalling one.