New Britain herald., 1915-11-29
THOUSANDS DIE 0F
 HUNGER IN POLAND
Serious Suffering Caused by Want
 Of Food in Warsaw District


 i 29.-Hundreds of thousands of the ! civil population in the Warsaw dis | trict of Poland are suffering for want of food. A considerable percentage of this number still are homeless liv- ing in huts, caves and abandoned trenches
 i The situation is more serious be- cause of the immense number thrown out of work by the almost complete paralysis of Polish industries. Some workers have emigrated to Germany, : where employment is plentiful, but the great majority prefer to remain near their homes in the hope of bet ter days, Prominent Poles in all walks of life maintain that ordSllc | relief measures are necessary IL i wholesale deaths from starvation are i to be prevented.
 Bread Card System. Such flour as is now on hand is be- ing distributed by the Germans under ; the bread card system, but only po- tatOes are available in quantities, while there is an acute shortage of dried vegeta bles, meat fats and con- densed milk. Prices which all over Poland have risen to unprecedented heights, cannot be checked by the es- tablishment of maximums, it is claimed, because of the fear that inn portations then would cease altogeth- CT.
 Suffering is especially acute among the families of Russian reservatists who formerly received regular pay ments from the government. Pen sioners now are cut off from their for mer incomes, and the Russians are charged with having taken with them the funds of saving bank depositors. 4,OOO Villages Burned. The country districts of Poland from one end to the other are battle scared, barren and fire swept. In the Warsaw governmental district alone it is estim ated that four thou sand villages were burned by the Rus sians. Many of the inhabitants who at first fled with the Russians later returned and threw themselves upon the mercy of the Germans.
 Thousands already have died of starvation and diseases superinduced by hunger. Mothers remaining alive are so under-nourished they cannot nurse their children. In Warsaw and LodZ women now rise at o'clock in the morning to get good places in the bread lines and not miss the chance to obtain some food at least. The horror of the situation is increased by a serious shortage of coal, due in part of destruction of the mines and in part to inadequate rail- way facilities.
 Soup Kitchens Opened.
 Committees composed both of Gen. tiles and Jews with the assistance Of the German government are conduct ing soup kitchens at Warsaw and Lodz, distributing food and fuel Eighty-One kitchens are running i'll Warsaw, while numerous asylums and homes for young and old are in oper- ation.
 Lodz N trying to feed 30O,000 of it's half million population. The author ities are holding a tight rein on the flour supply, to make it last until the l next harvest. Homeless peasants are being given lumber and tools to erect houses before winter, living mean 1 while in dugouts near their old homes, cooking on improvised hearths. The city of Lodz is paying pensions to the wives of reservsts on the chance 1 of being reim bursed later.
 Road building, railroad and bridge
 
 in order that the unemployed may earn something. All these measures bring only partial relief, however, be- cause of the shortage in a number of articles of food which are imperative ly necessary.
 Fighting Epidemics.
 The German authorities are strug- | gling desperately with epidemics of 1 disease which have come as a result 1 of insanitary conditions in ravaged district, and are making slow but sure headway. Cholera, typhoid fever, scarlet fever and diphtheria have been 1 stamped out or are under control in l most districts.
 Statistics which appear to be au- 1 thoritative show that from 25O,OOO to 36O,OOO persons are being sup ported in Warsaw alone. This number is steadily increasing Mean while funds raised for charitable pur poses have been virtually exhausted. , These funds amounting to several mil lion rubles, were given by Polish and Jewish organizations, neutrals and the Russian government. With this money it has been possible heretofore to dis tribute 1,250,OO0 portions of soup, I meat and bread monthly. Less than one third of these food supplies has been paid for by those who received them. The cost of the food distributed free has amounted to I15,OO0 rubles 1 a month
 Not Selling at Cost.
 The food department of the War saw government which has been sell ing at cost prices, has been obliged to restrict this work because of the exhaustion of the supply of food stuffs and the impossibility of import ing from neutral countries. The greatest need is for fats, butter, peas,