THIEVENING POST; NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1920
a crust of bread, a broken shoe, a spell of
I thought of somethin
freezing weather, everything. Even the
Dr. Arthur Schnitzler on Vienna of Today
afternoon. Down one
end of fighting in the field brought no
of Vienna a cart full of
(Continued from Page One.)
actual relief. Food stock still went on
Behind it walked a mi
sinking; prices soared still higher. The
faded uniform to gu
us there was Wiener Wald to go to and
inclination of our people to recognize the
Austrian krone could buy almost nothing
thought. Then as the wa
play. The Viennese are a most lovable
intrinsic worth of its own talent has a
from abroad. The foreigner came and
me I saw that he was
people when the sun smiles. They have
positive fault. Viennese are prone to ac¬
pought everything in Austria for prae¬
big lumps of coal from
a veritable talent for laughing, for melo¬
cept the shody products not in art, fo¬
cally nothing and at his coming prices
putting them in a sack
dy, for art, for the graces of life. When the
their taste is sure in that respect, but of
leaped up and up.
anything that man was
suu smiles Dr. Schnitzler repeated.
demagogues who lay themselves out to
"It became a tremendously profitable
Nor was there the leas
capture popularity. We had a burgo¬
But one of the most characteristi¬
thing to smuggle in food from the country
fear in his manner. Ha¬
master not so long ago who was a genius
traits of the Viennese is changeableness
and to sell it at illegal rates to the for¬
he gave it to his comra
in his way. He knew exactly the degree
of mood," he continued. "And the modern
eigner and the profiter. The farmer who
who had been walking no
of folly in the Viennes mind and how to
world did not leave them free for long, free
had food kept it from the open market
ing from him another
cater to it. As a result is popularity was
of the cares of maturity. From every side
for the schleichhändler, who paid him ex¬
fill that, too. Nobody se
so tremendous that Emperor Franz Joseph
problems closed in on them social, polit¬
orbitant prices and still made a huge profit.
proceeding nor to think
himself was jealous of the huzzas which
cal, economic, racial problems which are
Our people saw their own children star¬
if they did notice it.
greeted this burgomaster every time he
breaking down sterner peoples than the
ing. And in the big hotels and restau¬
That, commented
stirred out of his house. He got it all by
Austrians. And the youthful Vienna of
rants, on the Ring and before the Opera
common in Vienna to-
such utterances as this: Nature knows
Anators day soon vanished like a dream.
House, they saw overed, bejeelle, fu¬
acteristic of it. It simp
best. If I were dangerously ill I would
Long before the Great War came that
clad schiebers (profiteers) and schleich¬
spirit is submerged."
follow the advice of a superstitious wife
Vienna became a changed world. Possibly
händler rolling in opulence. It made our
Crushed?" I asked.
rather than that of the wisest doctor
it is because I am much older that I see
people exceedingly bitter."
The spirit of Vienne
That's one aspect of Vienna. Another
things differently. But I know many
"How is it they don't take stones and
crushed," he said with
the great number of bookstores.
young men to-day. And it seems to me
mash in the windows of hotels and res¬
"There is still too muc
That was one of the things which struck
that the present generation is much dif¬
taurants and help themselves?" I asked.
left. Relieve it a little
me most forcibly about Vienna. Food is
ferent from that of Anatols day. It is
"Well, for one thing, the Viennese is not
and you will see it rive
scarce, paper costs appallingly; rags are
made of sterner, solider stuff. It has been
the explosive kind. Physical violence is
strong friend to help it
almost precious; and yet the bookstores
tempered by fire and hammered on the
rather repultive to him. Another reason,
country like America.
about the city are many and opulent in
anvil of economic life. Our young men
however, is that it is not the proletariat
hand. And well it would
stock. And the beauty and color of lithog
since the 80's have had to choose side¬
who have suffered out of proportion in all
assistance. It would rep¬
raphy, the unstinted quality and quantity
and fight in many a war. I don't mean
this as it is the middle class the profes¬
every kind. With high
of material and the briskness of the busi¬
national was only. They are easier for
sionals, the people living on incomes, the
dustr. With a lovin¬
ness are astonishing
youth to weather. You go with the rest,
sently bred. Laborers are organized and
With enthusiasme in we
"There you have it, Dr. Schnitzler com¬
that's all. But when it is a case of war
can force their needs on the attention of
interested. With musie
mented when I spoke of it. "On the one
between clericalism against agnosticism
employers, for labor is always in demand
art, with modern scen¬
hand, a readiness to accept the shodd
and atheism, capitalism against socialis
and labor has managed to get pald. But
taste of beauty; with my
demagogue; on the other hand, a keen de¬
militarism against its antagonists why,
the arts, the luxuries, the refinements of
decoration, music, archit
sive for the best in thought and art. Re¬
then the battleground is often in the heart
life are dispensed with at such times.
great modern city can
luctance to accept a prophet of their own
and mind and family of the young fellow
know that the families of even physicians
actionably you
people and the quick appréciation of the
himself. It is no longer a question of
go hungering today. And this class of
tured by great experien
talent and genius of other lands. I sup¬
yielding to contagion. It becomes a mat-
people have not the hardihood to take up
fire and made wiser by
pose Vienna is adolescent still; its char¬
ter of hear searching, bitter conflict in
cobblestones and help themselves. But
Vienne of the merely ge=
acter is not yet formed; its inconsistencies
the home, in the workshop, in the circle of
among the desperately poor and others
though less youth, is gon
still lie side by side, intact and unmodified.
friends where formerly you found only
there has come a new point of view in
the hands of the Alles
Or rather I should say that was the con¬
the problem of what to play. Strikes and
morality or unmorality. You hear people
there develops a new
dition of affairs with us in 1914. Since
election campaigns, mass demonstrations
saying. Since it is permitted to steal¬
stead of being a burden
then there have been fiery years, years in
and repression, military abuse and the
He finished with a sbrug of the shoul¬
to itself, becomes one
which the character of Vienna has aged
hatred they bred these were the matters
ders.
beautiful cities of civili¬
many times six years.
that soon took up the time and thoughts
"The Crown Prince, Franz Ferdinand
and emotions of our young people. On
ASKYOUR BOOKSELLER FOR
was not very much liked in Vienna, Dr.
they kept on playing, too, of course. They
Schnitzler went on, his tone changing un¬
will never stop playing. That is in the
LEONARD MERRICHS irresistibly char¬
consciously as he came to the war. But
bone and blood of the Viennes. But they
The Worldlings
no longer played with life.
his murder produced a genuine shock. Be¬
fore Vienna could recover from it and to
As an artist depicting the finest shades of human cha¬
"You see, the city itself developed like
think clearly events came rushing like a
telling a thrilling story, Mr. Merrick is simply
a too fast growing child. In 1850 it was
mountainside. Of course they were largely
able.
a comparatively small affair surrounded
manipulated; and still more they had their
by a fortress. The Ring, which is now the
RICHARD WASHEURN CHILES new no
momentum in great economic and political
main artery of the city, was then only
movements of hostility over which not
country, a free place, a road. Why, as
The Vanishing Men
only Vienna had no control, but even the
late as 1890 Marianifestrasse was a sub¬
A mystery ingeniously conceived, a solution hidden
rulers of the world.
urb. Today it is one of the busiest of
end, and delightfully related.
I feel that our people have no love for
Vienna's business streets. The city grew
militarism and that, left to themselves,
too fast for its small clothes. New de¬
Dr. FRANCIS BRETT YOUNGS new novel
they would have sought a solution les
mands were made on hearts to young to
The Young Physician
savage than war; but events and insti¬
meet them. The result was wory, con¬
tutions dragooned them into it and Aus¬
fusion, the punishments of life on all mis¬
The story of a youth at the critical years which may
tria was one of the very first countries to
takes of immaturity. From much of this
coming man is told with the delicacy and fine in
feel the shock of war. In September and
Vienna has recovered. But it has not re¬
distinguished "The Crescent Moon."
November of 1914 the Russian armies
covered its unthinking youth, its untroub¬
SHEILA RAYE-SMITH new novel
swept into Austria like a tidal Wave and
led gayety.
it seemed as though it would go all the
"You must remember that to begin with
Tamarisk Town
way. In Vienna there was quite a flutter.
Vienna was not quite so light as the world
When a man's whole soul is in one undertaking, and
To fly or not? Some people, notably the
imagines it." Dr. Schnitzler had con¬
love passionately a woman who hates that
very rich their very wealth seems to
stantly to retrace his characterizations. It
strongly worked out story.
breed a cowardice did fly in their autos.
was interesting to see in him the impulse
But in the main Vienna stayed. Some out
to sketch a character or a situation with
MARIORIE DOUIES Burmese mystery
of pride; others because of fatalism; many
à striking figure of speech, and to see that
because leaving Vienna would be a dis¬
The Pointing Man
impulse overtaken, checked and corrected
comfort and a strangeness worse than any
by the equally strong passion to present
Has in it the fascinating color of an Eastern baza
evil they could picture of occupation by a
the same subject in all its fullness and
Oriental intrigue, and a web of cross-purposes, a
foreign foe.
complexity along with Strauss waltes
curiosity provoking.
The Russians did not come to Vienna,
Vienna has produo steel and surgery
but a terrible measure of war came to the
ALBERT PAYSONTERKUNES ne dogs