Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-16
GERMANY IS FAR
FROM STARVATION
Adversaries Mistaken in Think
ing Hunger About to Force
Submission.
GOVERNMENT is CAUTIOUS
Drastic Steps Are Taken to Pre-
vent Waste and Conserve
Food Supply.
BY FnEDERIC< WERNER.

BERLIN. May lin spite Of all diff
ficulties Germany is farther from be-
ing starved into submission than any
of her adversaries think. II sounds
alarming when they begin experiment
Ing. making milk" from weed and
meat" from hay and straw. and when
the people, as In Schleswig, are told to
live on soya beans.
There are many things that are in
bad shape. grain, potatoes and other
articles of foods War bread is a
| miserable fare. and the cakes which
are still exhibited in the bakers win
dows look as they did in times Of
peace. but are made from potato -four.
The well-to-do who can afford good
cooking do not feel the misery yet. for
II is the most expensive articles Of
food that have gone UP least in price.
ln the Berlin restaurants you may still
get dinner for 90 cents, consisting
OF turtle soup, lobster, roast veal and
dessert. It is only the poor who are
growing poorer still.
But when the outkide world is led to
think the situation is growing worse,
and that each new rescript is proof
supplies are running still lower
and the wolf is at the door, such ideas
do not agree with those that are
aroused among the German people by
these precautions. In Germany every
new regulation is taken as a proof of
the government being wide awake, not
as testimony of a threatening peril,
but as a sign Of timely caution.
RUSSIAN PRISONERS
IN MIGHTY STREAMS
What, perhaps. more than anything
buoys up the German mind under the
present conditions and gives confidence
In Germany's strength and hope of her
hnal victory, are the mighty rivers of
Russian prisoners that are necessarily
moving along all highroads OF North
ern Prussia.
Large districts are being gradually
transformed into little Russias. with a
Slav population clad in rags. and con-
hned within stockades and barbed wire
fences.
The following editorial in the Wiser
Inspektions Bote shows how deter
all kinds of privations rather than
give in.
we may have to kill all our cattle"
the paper says. I'VE may have to do
without milk, butter and cheese. but
1t does not matter. We will submit to
any rule laid down by the government
that manages our stock OF provisions
We will do this without murmur, and
be content with the mcager share that
is given us.
But We will do even more than this
FOR our country. y patriotic German
has suggested that we fast one day a
week. Our soldiers often have TO go
without food more than a day week,
but we do not need to go a s far is that
Let us merely take A solemn vow to
economize rs far as possible In the
use of the ncccssaries OF life never to
eat bread when we are not actually
hungry. and TO stop eating as soon as
our hunger is appeased. Let us sue
cced in this AS we'll as we have sue
ceedcd along our frontiers.
No matter now much our rations
may be reduced, we know that our
Savior. who during His earthly cx-
istence fed thousands of people on
nearly nothing. has the power to do
the same miracle once more"
SHARPLY CRITICIZEs
PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN
The Hamburger Fremdenblatt sharp
~ criticizes the people who complain
OF the Inconvenience caused by the
war.
when we are constantly reading"
the paper says, "of the herosm which
our glorious troops show under all
conditions in this war, il makes US
feel very much ashamed to hear that
there are people at home who find fault
with the petty Inconvenience they
have to submit to themselves.
These complaints are. in the first
place. greatly exaggerated. as condi-
tons here are almost normal. but, be-
sides. it seems quite incomprehensible
that anybody should have the courage
to complain of domestic difficulties at
time when everybody ought to add
to the courage of our lighting men by
assuring them that everything is well
at home"
The scarcity of rubber is one of the
greatest dangers which threatens Ger
many. and German inventive genius is
trying very hard to find a temporary
suitable substitute.
Recently some one suggested" the
Berlin TaSeblatt says that automo-
bile tires might be replaced by layers
of gummed canvas, but these tires have
been found not to possess sufficient re-
silence, nor are they very durable.
so far, all endeavors have been
fruitless. Several kinds OF artificial
rubber made from castor oil and glyce-
rim treated with acid are at present
being tested. None of these. however.
is able to resist water. Scrap rubber.
revulcaniZed. answers all PURPOSES
fairly well, but even this Is running
short"
WILLIAM THAW COMMENDED