The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-28
WAR CUTS OFF GREAT
NORTH SEA FISHERY
Draw Their Living From Thcater
of War on Water.
OUTPUT YEARLY 1880, 900 TONS.
Great Britain Annually Absorhs MIL
Hon Tons from This Source--Hun-
dred Thousand E1sher-foik Thrown
Out of Work.

Washington, March 27.--one OF the
m ost important and hitherto undis-
cussed elements of the famine which
has become a bitterly significant phase
of the war, and which, according to In
Vulnerable reports, Is growing steadily
In various countries of Europe. is
brought clearly to tho attention of
Americans by William Joseph Sho-
walter In a communication to tho Ma
tionai Geographic Society concerning
the war and the North Sea fisheries.
Discussing Europe's endangered ash
supply. this writer says:
with it's war zones ana counter war
zones. it's mined areas. It's hostile fleets,
and its heavily defended shores. the
North Sea-, In a few months has been
transformed from one OF the richest
Into region upon whose mastery may
depend tho starvation OF one or the
other Of two OF the m,1hfiast nations
OF the earth In times OF peace no
other like area In all the seas ever
has given to humanity such rich sup
plies of food as this narrow strait
separating Albion from the continent
of Europe. During the year previous
to the present war. a million and Al
quarter tons OF fish were taken here.
enough TO hll "a procession OF fish
trucks reaching across the United
states from New York to San Fran
cisco via New Orleans.
T~u~~ az rnaA ghnrfnur
"Just how serious this food shortage
caused by wars embargo of peaceful
effort in the North Sea Is. and may
become, we in America, for whom fish
forms such minor part of the daily
diet, can comprehend only with difh-
Guilty
Europe has depended very much on
these fisheries for fab supplies, More
than half of all the fish produced In
all the waters OF Europe are caught
within the limited territory that con-
stitutes the North Sea fishing grounds.
How much they are depended upon Is
shown by the fact that Great Britain
annually absorhs 1000. 100000 pounds OF
North Sea fish. that means 70 pounds
per~eaptta. And while this Is small
in proportion to her per capita meat
consumption of ile pounds. yet IL is
that margin which represents the diff
ference between hounteous plenty
and positive hunger unless other foods
can be secured to take Its place.
"Germany's dependence upon North
Sea fish production Is much the same
an Great Britain's, while the depen-
dence of the north countries, OF France.
Austria Hungary and Russia is even
greater, according to this writer. who
explains that investigation reveals the
fact that as meat becomes less and less
important in nations dietary. nsh
becomes more and more important.
Great Britain and Germany are shown
to be the great meat consumers of
Europe. with respective per capita con-
sumptions OF 1is and 113 pounds.
France has p per capita consumption OF
80 pounds. Belgian 20, Austria Hun
gary a.. and Russia 80.
Moreover. a closed North Sea has
thrown out NJ work a hundred thou
sand Englshmen who manned the
steam trawi. the drifter and the sail
ing boat. together with tens of thou
sands OF German, Dutch. Danish, Scan
dinavian Belgian and French usher
folk While all supplies OF fresh fish
are dwindling to negligible amounts
and while little provision Is being
made for future supplies OF dried and
salt fish. II Is to be presumed. the
writer says. that the warning nations
had considerable quantities Of pre-
served fish on hand at the outbreak of
the war. The vast proportion of fish
consumed In Europe is salt fish, and
II forms the mainstay OF the larders
of the poor But for the salt herring.
there are thousands OF families In
England and on the continent who
would very rarely know the taste
of flesh.
Fishing Capital or World.
"Grimsby is the fishing capital Of the
world, with an annual output of per-
haps 100000 tons OF fish. More than
500 steam trawlers operate from this
port In time of peace, and a special
harbor has been built for the fish trade,
including an outer basin of 10 acres
and an inner basin Of Is acres and
two dry docks. And BlIingsgate Is
the worlds greatest middleman's fish
market. handling the more than one
miil'o and a half pounds Of fish that
Is consumed every day by the city OF
London in normal times.
America need fear no North Sea
dilemma In connection with It's own
high seas fishing banks. because.
thanks to the great American -origi-
mated system OF fish culture. we are
able to go on drawing larger part
It our Ash diet from our inland streams
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