EUROPE'S HOUR OF PERIL.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15309, 24 February 1920, Page 3

EUROPE'S HOUR OF PERIL.

THE SPECTRE OP VIENNA

"You cannot .trifle with starvation and privation in Central Europe, such as prevails to-day^ without running tho risk of a carnival of Bolshevism which wili probably not be confined to this ccntiuent" ■"

This is the stern warning of Sir William Goode, British Director of Belief, who recently returned to London from a visit to Vienna. Sir William told the members of the American Luncheon Club that one of the first causes of tho present position is the delay in making, peace. He draws the following graphic picture of Europe in a state of suspense. "It scarcely seems to be realised in the United Kingdom, and still less in the United States, that -Austria, Hunjgary, Bulgaria, and Turkey are still technically ut war with the Allies, and, ay hat is more important, at war with most lit their neighbours. In many corners of Central Eui'ope to-day the inhabitants do not even know their own nationality. Until universal peace is | iTit/ified, until boundary commissions arc I able to get to work, arid until plebisj cites can determine the future of deI moeracies Central Europe will be a patchwork of ethnological dislocations.

ECONOMIC CHAOS

"An over-prolonged armistice, following on four years of war-, has knocked away almost every fundamental prop, political, financial, and economic. 1 only wish that those who are delaying the ratification of peace could visit Central Europe and see for themselves the economic ch.ios and the suffering, which can 118 traced directly to their own political actions." •, '■ "I hti've just returned from Vienna," piqceeded Sir William, "and I feel as if ■I "have .spent-ten'days in the coil of v condemned murder who**has given up all hope-.of reprieve. I stayed at the best hotel, onco the gayest rendezvous ia Europe Tne visitors were' huddled together in the gloom of one light, where there used to be 40. They were more '.ike shadows on the Embankment tluvr. representatives of the rich." ''Well-to-do people in Vienna," ho proceeded, "are burning their'furniture to light, their stoves, it is'not unusual to see the traffic in'une of the main streets held up,by hearses, nine-tenths of v.hich carry the bodies of children. LL cost me between £30 and £40 for two days' fires in v, small room that I hail taken as an office

REMEDIAL WORK. "Do not think that nothing remedial j is being done Over 2,4Q0,1)U0 tons of j iC'Odstuti:s have been sent to the distressed countries since the armistice Between September, 1918, and August last 4,500,000 tons of foodstuffs were dejiivered tti Fj'ance and Italy by British ! vessels ". " .

"1 think it must be apparent, how-1, over, that the crisis in Central Europe io of 'such dimensions and complexity as to defy isolated or individual effort. You cannot: heal the wounds -of Europe by dribleti of Government relief Gr dabs of humanity. The day i'ov palliatives is past. Emergencies such as that in Austria will not wait for the emergence of the League of Nations." _ "It is not a case uf saying to the United States, 'We will not do anything more if you will not/ " concluded Sir Vvilliam. "Th^fact of the matter is that we cannot do anything which is in the least likely to be effectual unless tlv I United States is also prepared to extend i iier credits in proportion to .-her means j It is .no good being 'moaiy-mouthed1 abo-at admitting that we, who' before, the war were rich, are now poor. lam inclined to tinulc that the nations participating in some such coniDrehensive scheme of credits will in the" long run suffer no material ■.disadvantage.""'' j