Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-11-13
IS GERMANY HUNGRY /:
philadelphia Public Ledger

the recent orders regarding the food
supply signify an actual scarcity are
not altogether convincing. 1t may De
merely the part of wisdom to restrict
consumption rather severely. But
such a course is certain to arouse dis
content, and a government would
hardly venture upon it were it not
imperative. If, as is said, the means
of subsistence for tho civilian popula-
ton are just as abundant as they have
been for the last IA months, why's
should such rigid rules be promulgat-
ed? The excuse fer the Zeppelin raids
on England has been that an attempt
to starve Germany was being made
by the blockade of the German ports;
"hunger war" the Germans call 1t.
Since the cutting off of the enemy's
supplies has always been regarded as
legitimate feature of warfare, the
extremity of the bitterness against
the blockade suggests that inthis case
the work has been done successfully.
If the British submarines have really
Gained that control of the Baltic which
is credited to them, so that inter-
course with Sweden is seriously inter-
rupted, there might easily be some
thin approaching famine among large
classes of the German people. The
reference to the potato rcop is not
re-assuring.
There is, moreover, direct evidence
that the situation is more alarming
than the German government would
have the world believe. Why the
newspapers are allowed under a strict
censorship to reveal the facts so
frankly is something of mystery,
But when the Frankfurter Zeitung
saws that "the sinister aspect OF
things certainly provides no food for
laughter" and explains the growing
hatred of England by this fact when
Maximilian Harden of Zukunft, adj
mits that the German people are in
distress, all the explanations OF mere
providence for future needs have a
hollow sound. "Can we hold out y
asks the Neue Zeitung of Strassburg.
Such question must strike chill to
a nation which has beck told again
and again that defeat is impossible.
OF what avail is it to hold the west
ern front. to endeavor to force q
road to Constantinople, if ring Of
enemies can keep all supplies out OF
Germany itself? 1t is futile to boast
of military victories, to talk of Mott
keism versus Mahanism, while the
great storehouses of the neutral ma
lions are barred by the sea power Of
the enemy.
Since the efforts of Germany to win
by rapid stroke came to nothing, ii
has been plain that the war was likely
to be one of endurance. 1t was there
fore, sound strategy to make every
German advance costly in men and at
the same time to sweep Germany COM
merec from the seas. 1t has been said
an army marches on its belly. There
are no indications so far of any fail
ure of supplies, either food or amnu-
milton, for the German army. But it
cannot be fed while the people starve.
Such policy, if the government were
inhumane enough to pursue it, would
mean revolution. Unless, therefore,
the cries Of distress that now come
from Germany arc insincere, which is
hardly reasonable superstition, the
country is now in perilous condition
-onc that must have great. perhaps
determining, influence upon the NIL
iLary situation in the near future.