December 3,1947

I came back from Vienna yesterday and am very glad that I could go. Vienna was a most agreeable surprise to me. I had not seen it for two years, the last time being Christmas of 1945. I could hardly believe my eyes. It is very different from Germany. One can see repaired houses everywhere, people are working, they do not look starved, and are well clad. The country is far from normal, but the progress made is great, unlike Germany where one has to spend all their spare time in getting a few additional rations in the black market. The American help is very great. 60% of all food consumed in the towns comes to Austria as free gift. All the people I visited had at least one warm room, and fair food. Very many people in Vienna get additional CARE packages as well. The   Opera is open, and the theaters are good. Prices are exorbitant, though. Just now they are converting their money to Schillings at a rate of 3:1. Everybody wants to buy as much as possible and get rid of the bad old Schillings. Consequently the shops are almost empty of goods and the shop owners refuse to sell anything. People pay debts to their enemies with the old Schillings, but not their friends. There are good jobs now and men and women who could not get any work before 1939, are in leading jobs now.Vienna is not what it used to be- the town is now without Jews, and somehow without culture. A new generation has come. My impression may be comparable to the one that one may have had in 1922, looking at Old Vienna of 1912. Perhaps it will be nice again- it certainly is interesting. Austria is the only country where the communists are losing ground, surrounded by communist dominated Eastern Europe. I felt strongly that I do not belong to Austria any more.