Before M. Poincare left London, the Allied Ministers discussed the
demand of Austria for a further loan of £15,000,000, failing which the Austrian Government said that it could not carry on. Mr. Lloyd George said that he did not know what should be done. Great Britain had lent Austria £12,500,000, apparently without benefiting her. France had lent her £1,000,000 this year, and Italy £2,800,000. It was agreed, at the instance of M. Poincare, that the League of Nations should be asked to inquire into Austrian affairs before the Allies poured more money into the Viennese morass. We strongly suspect that Austria's embarrass- ments are largely due to the ineptitude and timidity of her Government, who are afraid to cut down expenditure or to stop printing the untold millions of notes which send the exchange ever downward. Austria is not essentially a poor country, and she has an abundance of skilled workmen. She has hitherto never dared to look her difficulties in the face. Even before the War Austrian finance made a very poik show.
