The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-30
THE EUROPEAN FOOD SITUATION
How Germany FdCan Nation Be Starred
Il: Y Time-F,om the Of Rcui:us for Noucn
One Of the Days Be

blunder To allow the food supply az to
allow the supply of ammunition TO fail.
We can expect, therefore that nothing
short OF physical impossibility will
stand III the way Of production.
The ordinary campaign. which is not
definitely planned TO destroy crops over
wide areas. IL not to bE considered
as OF more than local Importance In
reducing production. IL is TO be classed
along with hail. winds and floods,
which occur every year over areas
Which seem large In themselves, BIZ,
are small fraction OF the total pro-
ducing area. The campaigns thus far
have touched only small fraction OF
the total producing ares OF any crop,
Sugar beets are probably hardest hit
because much .: the lighting has been
In 4 region of dense production.
Tie expectation that men will not &c
available. for the Planting or harvesting
al crops Will come true only in the most
extreme cases where cuntry is max
ing Its last stand IN defense or it's nat
10 nal existence IL each country puts her
entire available lighting force In the
ned She Will still have left her women
and her ola men and boys. AZ n matter
OF fact, all reports indicate that there
IL surplus rather than dearth OF
labor. That is. men are out of employ
ment This would naturally follow
from the closing or factories which are
not producing basic ntccssaries. The
continental countries are accustomed to
worsing in tho fields Is OF genuine i'm
portance here. II will involve no change
OF custom and no shock TO their sense
OF propriety 1! increasing numbers OF
women should help with farm work
Mr.. y. G. Murray, of tic United States
Department OF Agriculture, liz authority
for the statement that agricultural pro
duction In the Balkan states was not
much affected during their war
AS TO the old men aud boys. we mag
DO very sure that IL they have to be
withdrawn from any industries II will
be from those which arc not necessary
10 national existence. That is they
VIII DO Withdrawn from those which
croduce luSurics rather than necessa-
!ies. In other words, the consumers
Will give up luXuries. The people who
are unwilling 10 do this will probably
be the first 10 sue for peace. That this
abandonment Of Injuries is already
taking place is evidenced by the fact
that many intuor industries arc shut
down, creating, It surplus of laborers
available for the outdoor Industries
Another factor to be considered is
that Germany Austria and Russia pro
duce more than two-thirds OF the beet
sugar and almost one-thtrd of all the
sugar both cane and beet, OF tho world.
Both Germany and Austria are heavy
exporters of sugar In case their OK.
other foodstuffs as we'll they Will un-
doubtedly devote part of this land.
and IL Is tho most fertile land in each
empire, to growing crops for home con-
consumption
Farm Machinery In Wnr Time.
Farm machinery is a means OF saving
labor, That is, IL takes less labor to
make 81 machine and then use It than U
does to grow crops without IL. None
OF these European countries has ever
shown any lack of ingenuity i'm the de-
signing or making OF ma chinery, where
II was economical to use IL, and yet
they 40 not use much farm machinery.
Where labor Is abundant and CHEAP.
there is no strong reason for ccononliz-
ing IT, When IL becomes scarce and
dear, there is a strong reason. If the
war makes farm labor scarce. there is
no reason for fearing that the inventors
could not find ways of economizinr IL
through superior tools and machinery
But here the horse question arise.
again. Except on n few large farms.
no other source OF power for field work
has been found except Of course, oxen,
which are not very efficient in drawing
machines. IF the army absorbs a large
share of the horses, the scarcity Of
power viii prevent the large use OF
machines.
How many OF us realize how RAPIDLY
farm machinery spread throughout the
North during cur Civil War? The
reaper mower, thresilcr. corn planter
ana cultivator were al! in use before
1850, but they multiplied more during
the next five years than during the
whole preceding period. One result was
that agricultural production In the
North increased every year of that war
I'm the state Of Indiana, To take single
example, the wheat crop increased from
100000 bushels in 1859 to 10000, 900
bushels In 1863. in spite Of the fact
that, during tho latter year. ono in
every ten of her male population was in
the army. But tho North had IN album
dant supply of horses and they were
relatively cheap. II was merely n mat
ter OF finding ways of substituting
horse power, which was abundant, for
man power, which was scarce. If horse
power becomes as scarce In Europe as
man power. 1t is difficult to see what
else can be substituted.
Gcrmany'a Meat supply.
Germany has no less than 2O,OOO0O0
bcevcs, 5,009000 sheep, 5000 900 goats
and 2d,000,000 hogs Beef takes about
three years to ripen, while hogs arc
ready within the year in which they
are born. This means that Germany Is
able TO produce every year about S,0O0,-
coo beef animals 100000 sheep and
goats. and 26.o00,Do0 hogs, and with the
peasants and laborers the pork Is pre-
ferred on account of itsecheapness and
nutritious quality. Therefore, pro.
yided we can. feed the animals, there
will always be enough meat--and I do
think we car manage it;