The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-08-11
EUROPEANS FEAR FAMINE
MORE Than DEADLY BULLETS
England Germany and France Depend on mpoatons to Feed
Themselves and America. Lacking In Ships Won't
Be of Much Help

The Armageddon will he a war of
foods. Already the famine scare has
seized parts of Germany and England
and it would not be surprising II it
soon developed into panic. France,
too. remembering the days of 1871
when meat sold at $50 pound, is
feeling tremulous and President Poin-
care has signed DEGREES prohibiting the
expectation Of grains and foodstuffs
and extending until August 81 the
| terms for the payment of obligations
due within that time. Similar action
has been taken by Germany.
In many cities we read the food
prices have already been trcbled Even
in the nations not implicated in the
war there will be great advances. and
they will be dependent mainly on their
own resources. This country, too, will
feel the Messure, though it ought not
To he serious.
To England and Germany the prob
lem is Of most momentous concern, for
these two nations are dependent on the
outside for most of their sustenance.
starvation. not invasion, is the dan
ger of the country" declared A. j.
Balfour several years ago in arguing
against the Declaration of London.
The declaration will prevent America
from contributing prominently to the
relief of the war-ridden nations Eng
land expects To gain by her treaty with
Russia more than she will have lost
through the restricted relations with
the United States, and maybe in this
she has shown wisdom. That remains
To be determined.
England's Serious Problem.
1t is the most serious problem Eng
land has to consider, the continuance
of her food supply. With her it is not
a question of quantity. Hence little at
tention is paid there to the purity Of
foods. The food laws are lax and in
adequately enforced Chemical preserv
atives are used freely. \ report of the
local government board of Scotland
shows that Of 352 food samples of
analysis 1853 were found to contain
boron compounds, and IL preservative
supplies. Any means of obtaining the
requisite amount of food and making
it keep as long as possible is well
come in England Should the ma
TONS food supply be shut off by any
means starvation would impend i'm
mediately.
Think what il would mean To London
alone! London with it's environs has a
population of 100000, which receives
its sustenance through the London
markets and produces no food at all. |
Not in history IN there a situation like |
this-such vast assemblage Of people !
huddled together in such "A small area |
on an island and all dependent for their |
food on outside sources.
If London should be besieged as was |
Paris in 1871 famine would set i'm i'm |
This mighty swarm of peo-
pie consumes each day 100000 loaves |
Of bread; 1000 tons of potatoes: $780,
900 gallons Of milk; nearly 1000. 900 |
rabbages. and in season 10000 pecks OF |
peas and beans. All over the world |
people are busy growing the grain, |
raising the cattle. looking after the |
The fruits and vegetables to keep Lon
Ion and England supplied with their
foods from day To day. American has
been supplying an enormous proportion
IF it.
Rearrangement of Food Avenues.
But there must be great rear
'angement Of the food avenue. The
way To America is long and perilous.
This peraps is the cause of certain ar
icles in the Declaration of London
L helps to explain the cause of Eng
and's alliance with Russia so soon
litter the Russo Japanese war when
we found her firm ally of Japan.
8ritain's main source of supply in case
II war will be Russia and the British
colonies that are not too far distant.
That is one great disadvantage with
most Of the British colonies. They are
30 far away that the route is beset |
With all manner OF perils i'm case of
many routes open and protected. Far
impler IL would be to maintain one
treat route of supply from Russia pa
rolled, by the most powerful of Eng
and's warships. IL was for such pur-
'ose that they were built. 1t is for
uch purpose that they will he used if
var in to be. Considering England's
position, then, we must admit that she
has been farsighted in building her
mighty fleet Of battleships and form
ng an alliance with Russia, the great
st food producing nation on earth.
Russia with her vast area of S,647,-
81 square miles, comprising ne-sixth
f the land surface of the globe, can
roduce enough food to feed the world
With considerable left over. Double
he combined territory of the United
states and all it's possessions, and
till IL will lack 100000 square miles
Z equaling the area of Russia. Rus
ia is strictly an agrarian country.
lost of her people have been born and
cared on the farm. She imports most
Z her farm implements from Ameri-
a and is far advanced in agricultural
Methods. further advanced than anyI
Their nation excepting America. Four
fths of Russia's population reside in