The sun., 1916-09-09

HieiouSH tWO years nave passed
since the first campaigns Of the wal
In Poland, Polish food problems have
never ceased to trouble the three ma.
tions. Germany, England and the
United States, between which the task
Of supplying food to the Polish people
liz divided. Recent articles in Dutch
and italian papers revive interest In
the question for the rest Of the world
The problem Of food supply came once
more into the realm OF practical az.
fairs when the N0rddcutscht ALICE
n'etnc Zeitung published a hint that
the plans Of charitable American So
cieties might non find fulflment. In
still later articles the Nieuue Amster-
ddmsche C0urdnt has given us a closer
glimpse than usual Of the present STATE
OF Poland. The writer includes a de-
scription OF agriculture In the prov
inces of LODI and Warsaw that gives
an idea Of the size and difficulty Of the
problem which must face n COM
mission on which may fall the task Of
food distribution.
The articles in the Nieuwe .Amster-
ddmschc Courdnt appear. therefore. at
a useful moment. Particularly good
~ slC NttiilS Ill WIItH tDV
writer traces the present agrarian con-
dition Of the country during its period
of occupation by the Russian and Ger
man armies. In the provinces OF LODI
n Warsaw agriculture has suffered
severely. causing a general scarcity OF
foodstuns and n corresponding reduc-
ton In the reserve supply. In the case
of wheat alone, the most important Of
the necessaries. the supply for the civil
population barely exceeds the require
ments Of a small number. 1t il natu-
raj. in such an event. that there would
he n great increase in the consumption
of potatoes due to the fact that many
items in the peasants and working
mans dietary would. OF necessity. have
to be given up. To this deficiency in
national supply must he added the
h~ardships which the wal has caused
To n very large proportion Of the popu-
lation. In normal times. says the
Nichtrc Amstcrdd msche Courdnt, the
provinces Of LODI and Warsaw were
extremely fertile and well stocked. but
this abundance and this pr~oductiveness
have suffered by falling into the hands
Of military leaders. who show small
| ''''i'' i"'i'i ioi ru'y''t IdNts, aIlN
whose ideas have no practical relation
to the feeding Of the population. The
plans OF the American commission
have been thwarted. bot II is difficult
to CLEAN from the shreds Of the news
paper reports. or even from official an
iIouncements. the extent OF the con-
ditions affecting the nutrition OF the
people. But owing e the want Of
unanimity In the purposes Of the diff
ferent nations. there seems little pros
poet of American relief societies get
ting control over the distribution Of
food supplies in Poland.
II is reported in the Italian papers
that a terrible disease, caused by in
sufficient or improper nourishment, is
raging In the provinces occupied 10y
the German armies. In the vivid Ital-
ian phrase II is called the "malattia
della fame" which may be freely
translated famine disease" though
the terra In n for which English. as
/, yet, has no precise equivalent. The
prevalence of such a diesase Is a
frightful fact OF bur modern life. and
Il Is established beyond controversy
that 1t Is mainly due to injurious or
Y WV iiAAiN i''N' w ~ i''h NJ dAis Nv
dietary OF the Poles In these districts
consists almost wholly OF potatoes.
which are described as "putrid and
often frozen The symptoms. which
are like those II chronic starvation or
inanition, are clearly narrated by a
medical authority in the Riformd
Mrficd Of April 3, 1916. They appear
to be a state Of suspended animation,
due to bad feeding. and anRmia. in
which the vital elements of the blood
are impoverished. Eye witnesses say
that the effects Of this lack NJ nourish-
mont are most grave.
That the Poles can suffer so much
| shows tina, they have the highest title
to nationality. In these circumstances
witnesses wonder at their courage and
endurance.