Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-06
GERMANY AND STARVATION

German politicians. economists, phv-
S'olorists. Ecologists. farmers and
housewives working together have
evolved :, comprehensive and authori-
tatirc plan OF defense against tho
british starvation move. This plan
thcy believe Is hound 10 I've successful
IL followed to the letter by every Gle
mont In the empire
Their program, which has the gov
crntncntS sanction and is issued in its
name. Is confined in a 2GO-paEe hook
Just published in Germany. entitled
The Food supply OF the German Poo
pie ana the British Starvation Plan
The London Lancet calls IL "au cxposi-
ton Of the problems of a nations food
supply with such wealth OF information
as can hardly ever have been brought
10 bear before Oh the TOPIC"
The pamphlet demands that the Ger
man government forbid the export OF
IoodStunS or the use of corn as fodder
reduce tho number OF swine bv o0nr :
900 head and the number of mich cows
by 100000, that waste in household
cease and that prisoners OF war be
set To cultivate unused moorland These
things the prominent men who hclpcd
In evolving the plan ar" confident viii
be done. and they say: Nv. shall come
through. In spit" of closed frontiers
and suppression Of sea trade tho Eng
fish starvation plan will founder on
the cooperation of our Millions
Tho pamphlet first points out that
Germany is now a closed economic area.
which cannot even rely on the Con
Gucrcd lands" for food, with starvation
setting in Production must give place
to consumption as the leading idea and
the individual must give in to the state
AT this time every one IL so to speak
n Socialist" Maximum prices mus; be.
ilNcd, IN addition to prohibiting export.
MISS Imports From United Stutcs
The reduction of the food supply is
laid 10 reduced imports from the United
states to countries bordering on Ger
many, az well :ts Germany herself
Meat. butter cheese and fish, formerly
obtained from Holland and Denmark
and herring. from Norway and Sweden.
can no longer be relied on as food for
Germany. There Is no Roumunia wheat.
and the North Sea fisheries, yielding
10000 tons. are closed. Farmhands arc
few. Il per cent of the horses are
with the army. and in East Prussia
and Alsacc the crops are destroyed. The
situation is summed up thus
we are Il people in In. position OF
an individual who has heretofore had
considerable income. and who learns
by il sudden misfortune that with care
full husbandry he can get on with much
less"
The book then considers just what
this much less is with which tho
German people can get on. The food
men, women and children is estimated
at o. 1000. 100000 caloricS a year. al.
5000 calorics per adult a dag. y calory
is the heat necessary TO raise "a liter
of water degree CcntiGradc. The
quantity OF protein albumin this food
must contain is 1905, 900 tons :, year.
or a little more than three ounces per
man each day. In contrast to these
figures is set the annual consumption
before the war Of 30,420.OO0, 000, 90 }
10 do In
habtant
At that rate, it is estimated. Germany
can yield only G7,S60, 900, 600 calories, or
1,543,5O0 tons OF protein. if the old
production methods are continued.
Thus the food fuel yield is 10 per cent
greater than the requirement. while the
protein yield for repair is 3 per cent
less If the people are found to have
lived during the first six months of
war as they did previously a deficiency
of u per cent in food caloricS and
30 per cent in protein will be found
Must Diminish Waste.
me means 10 cover this deficiency,
the hook says. is an alteration of eco
nomic life in accordance with war con-
ditions. Waste must be di Unfinished and
production increased and foodstuTS
stored which have high nutritivc value
and require little space. The prohibit
ton Of foodstuff export should be made
absolute. not even sugar being cX-
to friendly relations with ncutrals
Meat consumption must be reduced,
cheese and skinned milk repla cling IT,
The crop OF beans. high in protein
should be increased, the number OF
pigs, which consume much food that
man needs reduced $500. 900. or IL per
cent, and the number of cows 1,000.-
900, or 10 per cent. Breadstuffs should
not be fed To animals. nor grain used
in manufacturing white starch or al
cOhol. Starch should not he used In
laundering. The production and use
Of butter arc TO be restricted. and fruit
Is to be preserved as jams and jellics
Sugar, which Is by no means 10 bc
exported. Notwithstanding claims Of
the Industry for special consideration,
may be fed To pigs
The principal crops to be sown are
beans, peas. potatoes. bcctS and seed
corn. Barley can replace oats, and
freight rates must be reduced to permit
the transportation OF fertilizers, nota-
bly, crude phosphate from belgium
The Russian prisoners OF war, most OF
them agricultural workers, must DO
employed on the 10000 square kilo-
meters OF unused moorland
Tho government has already for
hidden the use of bread corn as fodder
for cattle, and there must he limitation
In the production and breeding OF cat
tie. Beet parinEs can he used in
stead. Further instructions include the
preservation OF potatoes by drying, re-
duction In tho quantity OF cream and
butter produced and diminution In tho
use OF edible oils for producing soap,
which must be used sparingly, illumi-