Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1915-02-26

1913. StraBe, ytelu-Dorf.
GERNIANY'S DECREE CONFISCAT-
ING ALL GRAINS AND FLOUR.
(By VIM. Bayard Hale in the
New York SUM-
On the table before me lies the text
Of the famous decree of the German
federal council OF JAN 25. / have
spent some hours studying it, as
since the outbreak of the European
war l have spent the working hours
of several months studying the law,
the precedents. the history of neutral
trade during wartime under a con-
viction that only upon the question
OF contraband or what an interested
power might assert 80 be contraband
could the United States become in
volved in the tragedy now enacting
abroad
The German decree of Jan. 25 is
document of $500 words. 1t is pro-
mulgated under the title:
Announcement Concerning the Regu-
lation Of the Trade In Bread
Grain and Flour.
Under chapter 1, article l read:
On and after the 1st of
February. 1915, all supplies
within the empire of wheat, rye,
pure or mixed with other grain,
thrashed and unthrashed, are
seized ON behalf of the War
Grain society limited, in Ber-
lin. In the same way all sup
plies of flour of wheat, rye,
oats and barley will be seized
in behalf of the communities in
which they are found.
The ordinance runs on, through
fiftythree articles. giving particulars
Of an arrangement which clearly and
beyond question is concerned solely
with the task of securing the grain
| supply Of Germany from speculative
monopoly, OF conserving it and OF
guaranteeing equable distribution OF
grain food to the peaceful population
OF the country. There is no question
Of food for the military. Exempt
from the operation of the ordinance
are supplies belonging to the empire
or to q state Of the empire or to the
military or naval authorities or to
the central bureau for the provision
ing of the army 1t is the food OF
the people with which the new law
is concerned. Seed grain is carefully
! guarded. Farmers are safeguarded
in the feeding OF the members OF
their families and hands. Mills and
-four dealers are put under regula-
tion as to the amount of their sales.
Bakers are confined to the use of
three-quarters of the amount of their
former daily average of -four, and so
1 forth, and so forth.
There is not a sentence, a word, a
syllable nor letter regarding any
form of food except wheat, rye, ioats,
barley and the flour of wheat, rye,
oats and barley
Imported Grain Not Affected.
Furthermore. passing on to chap
ter 8, article As, / read:
The provisions of this ordi-
nance do not apply to grain and
flour which are imported from
foreign countries after Jan. 81,
1915.
ct would seem to be unnecessary
to point out that this means that the
ordinance does not apply to any inn
| ported grain or flour whatsoever, be-
cause the ordinance went into effect
only on the 1st of February Mani
testify no grain nor -four could have
been imported between Jan. 81 and
Feb. ! Yet certain newspapers have
found a suspicious fact in that date
Jan. BID
1t is true in the original decree
/ there is an additional sentence which
makes it incumbent upon the inn
| porter to operate through the War
Grain company, limited; the Central
Purchasing company, limited. or the
communities in order that the muni-
cipal and communal officials might
keep themselves informed concern
ing the stock of grain and flour on
hand in their districts.
However, this additional sentence,
which was ambiguous, was rescinded
! by a supplementary decree of the
German federal council on Feb. 6, so
! that the enactment now stands with
out qualification, ''The provisions OF
this ordinance do not apply to grain
and flour which are imported from
foreign countries"
simultaneously with the publca-
tion of the decree taking possession
OF grain the federal council published
an announcement of certain regula-
! tions intended to conserve the meat
supply OF the empire These regu-
: AeNAAVho AiANtASA tAliNo anu
| ties Of more than 1000 inhabitants
to procure and lay away preserved
meats (cured, timed and the lixe)
and for this purpose empowered
communities to take over the owner
] ship Of living pigs No authority
was given them to take possession or
pork or OF any kind of meat what
ever. AS hogs are not shipped alive
to Germany, there can be no ques-
tion whatever of this applying to
German imports from America
Such, then, is the actual language
Of the ordinance which is on every
hand loosely described as "the Ger
man order conflscating all food for
government use" Such, then, is the
/ decree which the British government
! assumes to employ as an excuse for
its defiance of international law in
declaring foodstuffs destined for
Germany TO be contraband OF war