Evening star., 1925-02-10
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Russia had her Kerensky Hungary
her Karolyi" Both reyolutionaries
ushered in conditions of terror under
their bolshevik successors. Hungary
has made efforts to regain orderly
government, but the poison remains
in her veins, with socialism in con-
troll It is said that her very name
should be abbreviated to Hunger. for
famine is her daily condition. Dis
tress and riotous extravaganza stalk
side by side. Her rebellion against
Austria, her rebellion against the
King week prior to the World War
armistice led to a series of revolu-
tions and counter revolutions, each
delivering her more fully into the
influence of bolshevism and prepar-
ing the masses for political murder
of officials. including Premier Tissa.
With such lawlessness came attacks
by the proletariat upon all property
holders and managers of business.
Hungary today is pictured as a center
of danger to the peace of civilization
and a hotbed of class hatred and So
cialism.
Austria, too, is said to be reeking
with injustice and class exploitation.
Vienna, once the gayest city of
Europe, is today a nightmare of dis
tress and sorrow. Danger turks
where class greed and hatred incite
tyranny. The ignorant and mex
perienced suddenly in power are
drunk with their opportunity for ex-
ploitation Of their former rulers and
employers. The City of Vienna is one
of the seven provinces of Austria.
much as the City of Washington is
coterminous with the District of Co
iumbia- The Province of Vienna.
wholly under socialistic control, ex-
ercises greater power over the ma
ions affairs than does all the rest
of the population. Vienna has pop
ulation of 100000 and outside are
100000, but more than half the
wealth is located in the city. Vienna
not only assesses her own province
the usual municipal and provincial
taxes, but she collects and retains
,or her own budget more of the ma
.ional taxes than does all the rest
Of the country. The national budget
is $4,000, 900. of which Vienna gets
s60.000.000. Yet this sum is INSULT
cient to meet the needs of the So
cialistic program of building homes
Cor the Working people of the cap
ftal, although since the city has lost
100000 population in the decade COW
ering the World War, thousands of
SomeS are vacant.
After taxing everything possessed
~ bourgeoisie the government has
used its credit to borrow a large sum
through the League of Nations, for
the sole benefit of Vienna, pledging
the national tobacco tax as security
of the loan. The league officials col
lect the tax and after deduetfng the
league share turn the balance into
the Austrian treasury.
Corporations pay one-third of their
profits as tax; also 2 to 10 per cent on
the volume of their business aside
per cent. luxury tax, 80 per cent; spe-
cial municipal tax, such as that on
automobiles and hotels, so per cent
The state is thus an uninvestfng part
ner In all private enterprise.
house owner is permitted only 10
per cent OF the pre-war rental of his
property but the tenant must pay
the state, in addition, tax of from
300 TO 5000 per cent Of pre-war rent
1t is inexplicable why the owner is
permitted to collect 10 per cent of his
former income yet even a boIshevik
seeks to save his face" though in
absolute power.
Private enterprtse-what is left of
it's endeayorfng to borrow money
abroad. oTering to pay 90 per cent
interest 1t is reported that business
men have adopted the practice of
staying off the payment of debts, even
when aceounts are indisputabte, by
permitting creditors to sue, knowing
that any lawsuit will tie up the ac-
count for year or longer. The at
titude OF the prpletariat masses ar