IN THE GRIP OF THE BLOCKADE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2672, 19 January 1916, Page 5

IN THE GRIP OF THE BLOCKADE

SCENES IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY \ By Telegraph—Press Associatton-Copyrlgln ("Tunes" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, January 17. Tho "Times," in tho first of a series of articles'by neutral travellers, publishes a graphic picture of Austria and Germany. Tho great number of wounded in trains at the stations and in towns was impressive. Every villago has a hospital. Middle-aged men aro entirely absent, women, children, and old men carrying on the field work; They saw no gold coin j the Deutsch Bank'had called up gold medals,-promis-ing to give replicas after the war. The soldiers agreed that the most respected of their enemies were the French artillery and the British infantry. People were talking everywhere of the • projected march to Constantinople, and theuce to the Suez Canal, yet the general undercurrent was one of pessimism. The sayings, "How long?" "God knows how it will end!" havo replaced the old certainty of victory. Restaurant tariffs are continually raised, and the traveller a miserable littlo dinner for five shillings. Beer lias deteriorated, and the price advanced 40 per cent. Bread cards gave the right of 175 grammes (about six ounces), being five miniature loaves tho size of a crown piece. . In Vienna, where there were four thousand taxi-cars in peace a hundred remain. The street illumination is pitiful. Women are doing the hardest navvy work and street cleaning. The theatres are crowded, and there is little mourning. In Hungary butter is ss. 2d. per pound, lard 7s. Gd. per pound. A dinner at at hotel costs 7s. fid. Russian prisoners are working as navvies. Everywhere rubber tires have been stripped off the vehicles; motorears are using wooden tires. The quality of petrol has been reduced, and chauffeurs start their cars with benzine, specially carried in tiny bottles. The stores announce that there is no string to tic parcels. The "hurrah" feeling has disappeared. _ In Northern Prussia, everywhere, tho desire is for the end.' The people are wailing tho many dead, tho suffering, and the cost of living. Thorc is no doubt that the great part of the working classes is suffering from Austria and Germany are recognising that Cli'oir victories ire of ao avail; and that the situation is becoming critical.