The Irish standard., 1915-01-16
Feeding Warning
Nations

Observation-Disclosures
The European food situation, with
special reference to the war and to its
probable future developments, is dis
cussed in THE American Review of
Reviews" by Prof. T. N. Carver, of
Harvard, who is also adviser in agri-
cultural economics" to the United
States Department of Agriculture.
Professor Carver has been much occu-
pied of late in creating, under Presi-
dent Wilson's administration, the "Bu-
reau of Markets and Rural Organiza-
ton" Other officers of the Depart
ment have elaborated in preparing
the article, and the interesting maps,
in particular, are from data on file
there. Professor Carver ridicules the
assertion, heard frequently before the
outbreak of war, that great bankers
could have prevented it by refusing to
finance it. That, he says, was very
much like saying that the owners Of
horses, or hay, could prevent war by
refusing to let the Government have
them. A Government at war can get
anything within it's reach, and the only
thing that admits of discussion is
whether the necessary supplies exist
or not. Compared with this problem,
he assures us, that even that of financ.
ing the war is Of minor Importance.
We read:
"The question of food, not only for
the armies, but for the non-tighting
population as well, we will admit to
be of equal Importance with that of
men or ammunition. But it must be
borne in mind that the question of
food is not question of living as we'll
in time of war as in time of peace.
1t is rather a question of finding the
basic necessaries of life. A people
who would prefer to be whipped rather
than undergo change of diet or give
up luxuries will probably get what it
prefers 1t is, therefore, important that
we study the available supplies of
these basic necessaries before jumping
to the conclusion that any of the war.
ring countries can be starved into sub
mission
Professor Carver then cites figures
showing the production of staples in
the now belligerent countries in times
of peace. In 1913, the per capita pro-
duction OF wheat and rye was 1.33
bushels in the United Kingdom, 9.45
in France, 1924 in Russia, 1O:4O in
Germany, and 7.73 in Austria Hungary.
In 1912 Britain raised 4.73 bushels of
potatoes per inhabitant, France 1894,
Russia 8.35, Germany 2S.4O, Austria.
Hungary 1881. The next question to
arise, says Professor Carver, is: Can
each of the countries involved main
tain in time of war the normal rate of
production? There is, at present, he
thinks, no sufficient reason for doubt.
ing it, although much depends, OF
course, upon where and how the fight.
ing occurs. He says:
IF any of the countries should be
overrun by invading armies which
sweep across wide areas, destroying
crops as they go, after the manner of
Sherman's march to the sea, it would
upset all calculations. Barring such
contingencies, there is no very good
reason for supposing that any coun
try at war will permit its supplies OF
the necessaries of life to run short if
it is possible to prevent it. 1t would
be as great blunder to allow the
food supply as to allow the supply OF
ammunition to fail. We can expect
therefore, that nothing short of physi
cal impossibility will stand in the way
of production.
"The ordinary campaign, which is
not definitely planned to destroy crops
over wide areas, is not to be consider
ed as of more than local importance
CONTINUED on page 81