The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-11
THE WARS DURATION.
when Germany IA In Dirc Need NJ
Foodstnfis the End VIII Re Near.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN--Sir. In
tho opinions expressed by various OBJ
servers as to the probable duration of
tho war there II rarely taken into con-
sideration the inevitable pressure which
will come upon the German Govern
ment from the peoples lack of food.
II should be remembered that Ger
many is not a rich agricultural land
the soil Ia relatively poor and 1t is only
by intensive cultivation that great
yields are obtained. These yields are
got by the scientific use of fertilizers
by probably the best trained and most
capable farmers Of the world who I'll
every fragment OF land. even within a
few inches OF the railroad tracks and
roadways. to produce their crops Even
then Germany has been obliged 20 i'm
port from is to 20 per cent OF food
stuffs to supply her people. For
years n great fght has been waged
between the so-called agrarian party,
the party OF the farmers and land
owners, and tho dwellers OF tho cities
The latter wanted free entry OF food
and the former pointed out that unless
they were protected agriculture would
suffer and Germany become almost en-
tirely dependent upon foreign impor-
tations of food rs IL England.
These facts are not gathered from
statements made since the war began;
they are taken from the history oil
parliamentary struggles for tho last
twenty or thirty years. Again, the
Germans are not extravagant In their
living as are Americans or even the
dwellers on the more productive and
rich soil Of France. They are close
and careful In tho use OF food. Every
meal Is carefully and economically
al NJ 10 M q
in any way. and the American gar
bage can with Its contents OF dis
cardcd food Is practically unknown
A German General OF Landwehr once
said, pointing TO long sweep oil
French fields: "My men encamped
there have meyer lived so we'll before
in thei lives and never will again. FOL
this IL a favored land and tho rascali
have grown fat and saucy IN the last
| FIVE months"
!. will be seen that three distinct
reasons exist to bring about a deartf
Of food to tho 7o,00o.0oo people OF
Germany. First, lack OF fertilizers e
| get tho thirty-one bushels to the acr'
which has heretofore been the yield
| Second, the Is or 20 per cent. importa'
lions, which 10 tho normal amount re-
ceived In tho last few years Third
| the small margin between actual nec
essary consumption and deprivation ant
| hunger.
In other words tho Germans. eco
nomical and careful. have heretofore
used only the food necessary for the!I
sustenance and have wasted nothing
hence they must suffer II deprived o
! that amount. Starvation must sooi
| come. or at least hunger and misery.
The new crops. owing to lack o
fertilizers and of men to till tn
fields, surely will be at least Is TO 2
| per cent. less than normal. ADD
thereto tho lack OF Is TO 20 per cent
OF importations and there will be 81
20 40 per cent. less food for peopl
who already save to tho utmost o'
what they actually need 20 sustain
life.
Tho new crops will be garnered b.
! July or August. and the three month
OF September. October and Novembe
will make immense inroads upon IN
amount needed 20 feed the people. The
what will tho German Government d
when snow flies? Absolute starvatio
will threaten for the coming winter
VIII Germany not he forced 10 sue 70
peace? VIII not the people with thei
diminishing supplies force their ruler
to capitulate that women and ch!ldre
may not die OF hunger
Brave, capable. all in all with IN
finest and best equipped army In n
world the Germans cannot and vi
not brave starvation and tho end wi
come then, ID,
New YORK. April ..