New-York tribune., 1921-04-10

can be fed by the relief organizations
with their limited resources. Due to
the lack of fresh milk and adequate
food, large number of the children
suffer from ricketts, and similar dis
eases. The average child in one Of the
rger-stricken cities of Central Eu-
rope is pitiful sight, with spindlins
legs, distended stomach and wan,
emaciated face. The prospect for the
future generation is gloomy indeed
Christmas Eve in Vienna
Mr.. Dawson tells of Christmas Eve
visit which he paid to number Of
needy Viennese families in company
with several relief workers, who were
distributing -four and other food.
Everywhere he found the same condi-
ton of miserable stitution-children
who had suffered too much even to cry
and parents who bore their fate with
the apathy of utter despair
As Mr.. Dawson points out, the for
mer middle classes have suffered most
from the enormous depreciation Of
money. Investments have lost their
former value, and the wages of teach
ers, government employees, profess
slonal men, otc., have not advanced in
any way proportionately to the cost of
living
Going into Poland, the author found
there the same misery, on a wider
scale. Poland was repeatedly devas-
tated during the war, and many of the
country districts, as we'll as the cities,
suffer acutely from the shortage Of
food. Mr.. Dawson interviewed Premier
Witos and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sapieha, and came away convinced that
Poland harbors no aggressive designs
against her neighbors and only desires
an opportunity to work out her prob
lens of reconstruction in peace
Prince Sapieha also assured him that
there was no danger of a Bolshevik
offensive in the spring
A Difficult Task
The task of restoring the shattered
mechanism Of central European life
is difficult and duplicated The break
up of the former economic entity known
as Austria Hungary is undoubtedly re-
sponsible for much of the present con-
fusion and suffering. Yet this break
up was dictated by the nationalist
aspirations of Poles, Rumanians,
Czecho-Slovaks and Jugo-Slavs, and
( it is impossible to undo it, Perhaps
the best that can be hoped is that, as
the fierce passions excited by the war
subside, economic considerations may
bring about a softening of some OF
the more rigorous military and politi-
cal arrangements Of the peace treaty.
Mr.. Seligsberg, a New York lawyer,
made a trip to Europe last summer, and
sets down his impressions of England
France, Germany, Italy and the gen
eral European situation. He found
England facing her problems with
vigor and resolution, and giving every
evidence Of a speedy recovery from the
losses of the war. France was in a
HluCN worse economic COQQlClOn. / ne
franc had fallen greatly in value, and
people, contrary to the French tradi-
tion of thrift, were spending money
recklessly.
Crossing the frontier into Germany
the author found a stolid, beaten
underfed people, suffering from the
lack Of nearly all the ordinary COM
forts of life. The Germans were
driven TO resort to astounding substi-
tutions in the matter of food and cloth
ing. Discussing the situation in Italy
Mr.. Selgsberg expresses the belief
that the disorders in that country have
been exaggerated, and that Italy will
settle her economic troubles satisfac-
torily by giving more land to the peas
ants and more control of the factories
to the workers.
"The disease from which Europe is
suffering" writes Mr.. Seligsberg, 'is a
very old one--thousands of years old
If the patient were an individual we
should diagnose his complaint as homi-
cdal mania"
As a cure for this disastrous col
lective nalady he recommends Anglo
American cooperation and Limited
American participation in the League
Of Nations.