CHAPTER IV.

“SOMETHING HE CANNOT FINISH”

This year the early spring, which always is marked by political disturbances, again brought some agitated days to Vienna. Unemployment spread to a terrifying extent, factory after factory closed down, and there were numerous failures among the retail establishments. Noisy demonstrations were held everywhere, not only by the laborers, who were partly provided for by the state, but by idle salesmen and salesgirls, bookkeepers and typists as well, until it was decided, at a stormy session of the cabinet, to subsidize these classes also during the time of their unemployment. The Minister of Finance fought against this measure with all his power, but finally the Chancellor, Dr. Schwertfeger, had his way. Dr. Schwertfeger, who had become even harder, stiffer, and more bony, declared that this additional burden would have to be borne.

“We may not let things come to such a pass that the expulsion of the Jews should one day be blamed for misery and distress. So far we have been able to persuade the _Arbeiter-Zeitung_, whose spirit is still Jewish though its editors are Christians, to refrain from all criticism of the anti-Jewish law. But if we do not meet the demands of the unemployed business men and women, its patience will be at an end, and if only to draw these people into its camp, it will inaugurate a campaign that may prove ruinous; for we have not yet passed the transitional stage between the reign of the Jews and our complete emancipation.”

“And our krone?” sarcastically interjected Professor Trumm.

“We must turn to our Christian friends abroad and explain to them the straits in which we find ourselves. The best thing would be for you to leave immediately for Paris and London.”

Trumm laughed harshly. “Quite futile! Even three months ago I returned empty-handed from my first begging tour. Those people will give no more--they have not even adhered entirely to their solemn promises. You underestimate the influence of our former fellow-citizens, the Austrian Jews, some of whom hold positions in foreign banks today. Besides, the delirious enthusiasm of the Christians has passed, and people are again viewing things from a sober business standpoint. Even Mr. Huxtable has refused.--But all right, let us grant the demands of the unemployed clerical workers! However, I wash my hands in innocence.”

The next day the cabinet decision was published, and quiet was restored; but the day after the krone suffered a thirty per cent fall on the Zurich exchange. And the _Neue Zuricher Zeitung_ printed an article which proved statistically that slowly but surely Vienna was forfeiting all significance in Central-European trade, and losing in its competition with Prague and Budapest.

“The business men of Hungary were as crafty as those of Prague. They received with open arms certain classes of decent Viennese Jews, who brought trade with them. Besides, the buyers of the world, being mostly Jews, cannot go to Vienna any more, and therefore go to Prague, Brünn, Budapest, and, particularly, Berlin; the Christian buyers follow their example, so that the Austrian manufacturers of finished products such as fancy leather goods, shoes, pottery, and the like, must travel abroad with their sample trunks instead of receiving their customers at home. In short, no business worth mentioning is carried on in Vienna, in spite of the unprecedented low status of the krone. This has of course put an end to foreign exchange speculation in Vienna--but, it seems, at the expense of the Austrian organism. Instead of accomplishing a great work with his law, the gifted Chancellor, Dr. Schwertfeger, seems to have started something he cannot finish.”

As if in substantiation of the truth of this article the banking world of Vienna became completely disorganized. The hopes of the foreign syndicates that had taken over the great Viennese banks met with bitter disappointment. Their turnover grew less and less, and the departure of the Jews had also caused a considerable decrease in activity on the stock exchange. To avoid a deficit, therefore, the banks were forced to give up one after the other of the thousands of branches with which Vienna was dotted. The bank clerks’ organization protested in vain against this deprivation of some of its members of their livelihood. Then the banks claimed the protection of their embassies, and there was some painful diplomatic intervention that resulted in the Austrian government being forced to take into its service the unemployed bank clerks, when it really needed to diminish its own staff. And the krone fell to the thousandth part of a centime.