The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-08-05
When European War Be-
gins In Earnest.
DREAD WORSE THAN BULLETS
General War Would Mean
StagnatiOn of Markets
And No Crops.
STARvATION's AWFUL MENACE

London, August 3.---Baok vi tn,
grim war monster descending OF
the fertile plains of Europe stalk.
an apparition even more terrible
fa,hine.
If war comes--war involving all
or most of the great Powers-fam
inc is certain to follow. The cont.
mental farmer, the tradesman. the
small fry of the factory and work
shop. the European of average OIL
less than average means sees itcom.
ing and the sight strikes terror to
their hearts.
From bullets they may escape
Their children, their women and old
folks, at least, may escape the raw
ages of war. but none can escape
famine. Those who are least allie
to withstand privation would be the
first to feel 1t.
On the orders Of the war lords
calling thousands upon thousands OF
Gbie-bodied men from Ike fields and
the workbench, interrupting tele-
picnic and Geographic CONNIE Mica
tioe, PAL alyZing movement of fr light
on land and water, the European
sees Famine penning his advance
notices. .
On the grain market panics and
the rapid rise of prices of all food
stuffs, he sees the first effects of
these advance notices. Later on,
when real war comes, famine's man
ifestations will be the vast fields of
unharvested grain rotting for want
of hands to harvest it or vegetable
gardens tramped under foot by
hordes of hurrying soldiers, or Or
chards denuded of their fruit by the
hands of hungry foragers.
History has never known such {;
conflict as the European wa will be
if ii comes to pass that there IL a
general war, so history can throw
little light on the effect bitter Ind
protracted fight will have upon the
food supply of the world.
The siege of Troy. or ;he siege o.
Paris in the Franeo-prussian con-
flict, when Thousands" died of starva-
ton, would De inflnitesimal in COM
parsion.
Famine traads close upon the
heels of war in Europe because I'm.
rope, with is vast population and
Its comparatively small area, is
pressed even I'm times of peace to
supply it's millions with food enough
10 sustain them.
1t is the boast of the United States
hat IL every seaport We're closed
md all importation shut OFF, the
country could feed its population
rom its own fields and gardens and
till have enough for half the pop
ilation of Europe.
The conditions I'm Europe are the
everse--if importation We're shut
If famine would creep upon the ma
ions, even If every available inch of |
round We're under cultivation.
With the men OF Europe at war in
tead OF In the fields. the danger of |
anime is intensified a million fold.
Ii Is commonly known that the
british Isles could subsist without
only 81 days: that Is,
Great Britain We're called upon
D feed the people of England. Scot
md. Wales and Ireland without
Inside assistance, its supply of food
'ould be exhausted within three
eeks.
Conditions In continental Europe,
articularly in small. inlying States,
re worse. Without importations
nd without food from their own
elds the approach of famine would
matter OF only few days.
The alarm of me European Gov
Is exemplified by the sum-
airy action of Switzerland In for
dding all expectation and in rush
& into the worlds markets to buy
lge stores of grain and provisions :
insurance against starvation for
! people.
The threatened strike OF lS,OOOI I