The Washington herald., 1915-11-28
Calls Peace Talk German Trick to
Show World Allies Would Crush Her

many has come almost to the end Of
her man power. Very careful calcu-
lations based on reliable figures indi-
cate that this winter the Austro-Ger-
man armies will begin TO decline in
numbers at the rate of 4oo, 200 a
month. The alternative, calling out
old men and young boys to I'LL the
ranks, causes loss in military eff
cheney greater than if the unfit ma
terial was left at home, all experts
agree. France, at the same time, will
be losing $4,000 men monthly whom
she cannot replace; the British arm
les, however, can be kept at full
strength for at least six months from
present reserves, and there is yet an
other million available recruits not
yet modified. Russia's resources in
men arc relatively incxhaustiblc. Ger
many hopes to get 100000 Balkan
and Turkish warriors to fight her bat
ties, but Bulgaria and Turkey are
fighting, not for Germany, but for
themselves. They will soon desert
the ship If it starts to sink.
What Hunger May Do.
J. Let us look behind the scenes.
Famine in Germany and Austro-Hun-
gary may do more to cause the COL
lapse Of the central empires than even
the shortage OF men. In that oak
pancled room in Whitehall, reports
arc tabulated from every city OF the
enemy empires on the food question.
Last winter the introduction of bread
cards and the grain monopolics made
the Londoncr. and to some extent the
neutral, believe that Germany was
starving. The statisticians in the
room in Whitehall knew better. This
winter, the man in the street remem-
bers how he was fooled a year ago,
and refuses TO credit reports Of food
riots. The men who study the figures
in Whitehall know that the food sit
uatIon OF the enemy is becoming seri-
Gus.
In Germany. the prices OF food
staples have risen from Is to 100 per
cent since war began In Austro-
Hungary, the average increase has
been 1871 per cent The people are
willing to eat potato bread: but the
price OF potatoes has doubled. Pro-
ccssions OF starving women holding
children in their arms have marched
through the streets of scores of cities.
Babies are dying because there is not
enough milk for them. Not only are
these things true, but there is no
remedy in sight. The universal out
crv for a government monopoly of
all food supplies must soon be heed
ed, but even German organization
cannot keep prices from rising. But
ter. eggs. milk and meat have scared
utterly beyond reach OF the poor. be-
cause the farmers arc forbidden to
feed their cattle and hogs on the ordi-
nary foodstuffs used for animals,
which arc now needed by human be-
Ings. For instance, it is against the
law to give corn to hogs. and fodder
for cattle is at a prohibitive price
The burgomastcr OF Vienna recently
said, "One literally -trcmbles from
week to week for rithat the neces-
sary fodder will not be Forthcoming"
Cannot Fix Prices.
SO the demand for maximum prices
on the necessities of life cannot be
needed by the government, for prices
that people can pay for milk or butter
will not recompenSe the farmers for
the cost OF raising the cattle, and the
beasts will be slaughtered This al
ready has been done by thousands of
farmers, increasing, OF course the
milk famine. The only remedy, it
seems, is for the state to seize all
foodstuffs.
France, too, is suffering terribly,
but the meat she gets from England,
America and the Argentine is like
oxygen pumped into the lungs OF
sick man, while England can certain
ly last another year or more before
she begins to suffer as Germany has
suffered for months past.