The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-02-25
TWO PICTURES F.V|ENNA
GAY>LIFE NIGHTLY WHILE
HUNGER ABOUNDS
Visitors To City Shocked B.
This ParadoxicaI Economic
Condition
Associated Press pispatch.l

Vienna, February 23.-Vulgar dis
play of extravaganza In rood and
clothing is a nightly picture at the
gay restaurants here while only a
few blocks away hungry and scant.
lily clothed persons are being poorly
led in community kitchens. Visitors
to Vienna are shocked by this par
adoxical economic condition. Others
are either hardened to the contra
dictory sights or, in their inability
to alter either extreme, can only
shut their eyes to them.
Crowded theaters and operas at
tremendously advanced prices, con-
certs sold out in advance, masked
ball following 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 res
taurants 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 picture. On its
reverse, foreign relief .straining it.
self and demanding unceasing con-
tributions in aid of suffering
populace.
In Austria it is the custom of New
Years Eve to bring squealing suck
ling pigs to public dining rooms and
the red ribbon with which they are
decorated is distributed in bits to
guests as talismans for the coming
year. The newspapers report that in
seized the pig and bathed it in a
cooler full OF wine. Other women
caught the original idea and imita-
ted 1t tG the cost of many bottles.
That restaurant, incidentally, has
had its license suspended for con-
slant violation of the food and clos
ing regulations.
Demand Suppress Of Profiteerina
Viennese claim that in all these
resorts where display and expendi-
ture of thes most vulgar kind are
be found that they have not the
money. They say they are support
ed by the horde OF profiteers OF
every race and every nationality
that infest and infest the city. A
recent demonstration Of the populace
is acknowledged to have been in
spired by this prodigal display Of
extravaganza and ready money on
the part of this small element ot
The workingmen demand the gov,
ment shall suppress profiteering and
eliminate the sheba (profiteering
wholesaler or middleman) and the
sleichandler illicit trader) in an
effort to lower the daily mounting
cost of living, else they will under
take to do so on their own account.
They carried a miniature gallows in
recent demonstration.
Austrians, acknowledge that this
superficial froth of extravaganza and
display is doing great harm to the
city and the country. Casual travel
lers who spend a few days in the
inner city, visit these gorgeous re-
sorts and see the high class res
taurants crowded at every meal, tea
dances in the afternoon, exception
ally well dressed men and women
and the display of furs and jewels
and articles of luxury in the shop
capital, are hard to convince that
beneath this, veneer lies widespread
privation and in certain strata ac-
tual bitter suffering.
Feeding 400, 900 Children.
Some 100000 children are being
fed one nourishing meal a day by
American charity. Through ABeri-
can aid the hospitals are being re-
furnished with long absent neces-
stiles. Nearly 100000 Austrian child.
rem are charity guests in other
nom suffering peoples is being ex-
tended bounrifully 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.
especially the American, when he
is told this, gazes on the evidence
of wealth and we'll being about him
and remarks that it might be well
to spend some of this money at home
instead of demanding aid from other
lands. One answer is that this phase
Of Vienna life brings money in and
keeps 1t circulating. Another is that
the temperament of a people must
be considered.
The billboards are filled with an
nouncements of redouts (masked or
fancy dress ballsl. Wine is always
served at these affairs at high prices.
Among those about to occur, the
star event is one at the State Opera
for the benefit of the pension fund
of the singers and musicians. The
boxes, long since sold, went for from
20, 900 to $4,000 crowns each and
single tickets of admission for 1000
crowns.
Win Heavily On Market
Even in deprecated Austrian cur
rency 10000 crowns represents about
thirty perfectly good American dol
lars or a good many balanced ration
meals such as Americans are giving
Vienna's children.
Much of the money thus spent
comes from the wild speculation on
the stock exchange that has follow
ed the constantly fiuctuating crown
and from wide open speculation in
foreign monies, theoretically pro-
hibited but in full operation in cafes
and restaurants and well covered
private offices.
One American told the correspon-
dent that in the Black Exchange, a
little street where these operators
gather and trade, he saw one man
with 100000, American money, and
who admitted he had made 100000
crowns a day on speculation.
The possibilities of this money
market are made plain In one weeks
crown quotations against dollars.
Private sales were made on We'd
nesday at 500 crowns to the dollar.
The market closed on Saturday with
dollars at 632.
Fluctuations in the stock market
of thousands of crowns per share
are commonplace. Men with foreign
money, struggled in and out Of other