The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-21
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN. DirecAar.
Washington. d. O.
CHARITY WITHOUT EXPENSE.

7
I cannot play of Vienna as she is to-
day-it would break your heart 1
can only play at all because of the
hope which may come to Austria If
you are kind.'' With these plaintiye
words Fritz Kreisler prefaced his play
ing of a gay Niennese air at a public
mass meeting held here in behalf of
Austria
| The meeting was told that the
$24, 100000 which America let Aus
now threatens to force her into starva-
ton in a greater crisis This paradox
/ is simply explained We and other
nations let Austria have money for
grain and necessities and We accepted
as security her assets. including the
state tobacco monopoly, customs re-
ceipts, forests. even her tapestries and
pictures.
her difficulties Whereas five Aus
TRAN crowns were once exchanged for
fan American dollar. now 10000
crowns are needed to balance our dol
crowns in Vienna People in Austria
see no advantage in saving any money
because the longer they save it the less
| it will buy.
Starved and in such a financial
state. a nation can scarcely survive
unless it can borrow money to start
again on new financial basis. The
barrier which keeps Austria from bor-
rowing and instituting a currency re-
form is the lien that the United States
and other nations hold on her assets.
Unless we release our hold on these
assets Austria can have no security to
offer to the British and American
financiers who are willing TO make her
loans This is the desperate Austrian
situation explained at the meeting by
Senator Mccormick. the former min
lister of finance of Austria. and by re-
lief workers
Now. when other nations are slowly
or rapidly recovering from the war,
Austria has 100000 children depen-
dent on charity. This army of chill
dren-a greater number than the pop
ulation of Vermont or Arizona-has
been kept alive mainly by the Friends
lions are not able to care for so many
charges indefinitely. however. The
Friends who have worked in many
countries of Europe say that the Aus
trian children are the most pitiful of
all One seasoned relief worker fin
ally had to leave Vienna. II could
stand seeing Russia's tragic need she
said, because it seemed a crisis and
We were working toward betterment.
But Austria is slipping back, and her
plight is terrible
Austria. the United States is told.
is not asking for charity now. She
has reached a place where gifts of
bread and clothing are not enough.
The country is slipping into a morass
of starvation and poverty. and the
United States is watched as the ma
ton that has power to save Austria
from complete downfall.
United States Holds Key to Situation.
The United States is asked to extend
the time of payment on the Austrian
loan, ana even more urgently she is
asked to release her hold on Aus
trian assets, so that the country may
negotiate further loans
MISS Helen Todd. renreSdnrinR -
American Friends Service committee
the American Relief committee for
Sufferers in Austria, and the Women's
International League, explains that
there is no reason why we should not
do this, and a number of reasons why
We should. Whether we agree to ex-
end the time limit on our loan or not
Austria cannot pay as matters stand.
And if Austria cannot pay the $24.-
100000 which she borrowed in food
stuffs from the United States Grain
Corporation we could lose nothing by
an extension of the time. With this
help the country may be able to get
on its feet and in that event it ex-
poets to repay its creditors.
But even if the United States does
so, the country cannot hope to pay I'M
less it can borrow more money to tide
1t over the present hopeless situation.
A year ago, the allies saw Austria
was sinking further into difficulties
instead Of getting on firm ground.
Consequently at the request of the SUI
preme council, England, France, Italy
and Japan agreed to release the Aus
TRAN assets, given as security on loans
and thus allow Austria TO borrow again
and try out rehabilitation plans which
had the approval of expert European
financiers.
But it was stipulated by Italy that
the United States and the smaller
creditor nations must join in the
agreement before Austria could be re-
leased from her obligations.
Edward a. Filene. of Boston, says:
"Of these remaining creditor nations,
the United States was the chief credi-
tor and the most influential. 1t was
generally understood that if we acted
the other and smaller nations would
action, other and minor creditors wait
ed for US and the matter was delayed
from month to month while Austria
drifted nearer and nearer to the fl
nanciaI collapse which finally has
come
This delay creates most danger
Gus situation in Austria. Usually the
foremost in all philanthropic work, the
United States in this case is holding
up the procession led by the other
powers. If countries such as Belgium
and France, themselves cruelty raw
ished by war. can favor this suspen-
sion OF the Austrian debt. surely We
can do so also especially as Austria
IS utterly incapable of paying this debt
or arrears of interest at present.
AS Mr.. Filene says, the United States
delayed action and it looked as if the
matter would never get a hearing in
Congress There was no one in this
country working for it. At last. how
ever, the Friends Relief Society and
the Austrian Relief Committee felt
that Congress must be aroused to the
urgent need, If not of all Austria,
certainly to the need OF the 100000
starving children.
As a result, Miss Todd came to
Washington a few days ago on the
difficult mission of getting congress
to give a little time TO the 10000
children's bill-'' This bill in the form
of a joint resolution introduced by
Senator Lodge. awaits a hearing by