Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-18
CENTRAL POWERS
DECLARED To Be
IN GOOD SHAPE
Reviews Assert Economic Con-
ditioNs in Austria, Germany,
Bulgaria and Turkey Are
Entirely Satisfactory


Bulgaria and Turkey are described as
satisfactory in a number Of reviews
of the year appearing in the Austrian
! press. Articles on the subject keep
the war in mind, naturally, ana what
! ever is said has the intention Of the
/ entente to starve the central powers
into submission as n background.
All writer's agree in processing that
! the almost total cessation OF import,
due to Great Brtains attitude on CON
! traband, has been a blessing IN dis
gulse for the central powers. though
4 most annoying at times Unable to
| import from oversee markets what
/ fromerly had come from abroad. Aus
! trial Hungary and Germany, the writ
ers point out. modified economically
shortly after the outbreak of the war
The utilization of home resources and
the prevention of waste. and later the
partial Withdrawal from general con-
sumption of stuffs and materials
needed to carry on the war, made
the two empires economically self
contained. Science contributed to
this. The result was that while the
entente bought in foreign countries
the central powers, unable to do So
kept the money which otherwise
would have gone out Of the countries.
Today the population of The two en-
pres has become accustomed to the
frugality and self-denials which con-
dition imposed and those who judge
the situation psychologically assert
that the degree Of ascoticism which
has been fostered in this manner has
become an important oausal agent Of
military spirit and strength.
Novel Features.
The economic scheme which the
war forced upon central Europe is
not without its novel ANA interest
ing features. In the first place the
theory that money was likely to be
the biggest factor in a modern war
has been exploded say the writer's.
II has been proven that the capacity
to resist economically is more i'm
portant. a condition which presup-
posed both the availability Of raw
material and a good industrial organ
ization. Germany it is pointed out,
possessed the latter TO a high de-
gree and ably supported by its
scientists, the empire was in a posi-
ton not only to obtain maximum
results from its resources and stores,
but to augment them principally by
the aid of its well developed chem
istry and physical sciences. Austria
Hungary followed suit, so that at
the beginning of the year 1915 most
channels leading to cconmoic waste
had been shut.
one of the most disqueting prob
lens was that of obtaining metal for
military purposes, notably copper, tin
ana nickel The metals We're needed
in large quantities; copper for the
guide flanges of the military proiec-
tiles and copper and tin together, in
the form Of brass and shrapnel head
and rifle cartridges while nickel was
required for the shells or mantels of
rifle bullets Iron and steel were
available in unlimited quantities.
Much "copper" tin, brass and nickel
were during the summer turned over
for use Of the armies by the popula-
ton. Thousands of tons were un-
earthed in the metal campaigns" /
These are still going on, but with the
taking of Serbia, and the opening of
the road to Turkey, copper and tin
are now no longer on the list of wor-
ries, Copper is produced in considera-
bic quantities in Serbia, Bulgaria and
Turkish Asia Minor, the latter coun- |
try also producing tin.
Chemicals Not Scarce.
Chemicals and other substances
needed for the manufacture Of OK
plosives have never been really scarce. Z
This Is especially true of cotton one of
the principal ingredients in tri-nitro |
explosives, of which gun cot /
t,. To-. ba l. fe aangfI-
cred likely that the costly methods in
which some of the chemicals We're !
won. from nitrogen of the air, for in |
stance, will be superfluous as soon as
conditions from Anatola |
have become normal. In that part of
the ottoman empire many of the Gle (
ments needed in pyrotechnic chcmis- !
try are found.
The food question, by reason Of its |
required much thought !
and attention, the article says. IT af-
fected the entire population. No pre-
,edents were available. Mistakes we're .
made, but in the end satisfactory re-
suits were obtained. Supplies were
lusbandcd by restricting consumption,
and speculation and price driving
we're prevented by fixing maximum
rates for some articles, and maxim the
handling Of necessities and commodi
les for profit Illegal and punishable
With heavy fines aud imprisonment.
War loans were made with little "A
difficulty say the reviews The fact
that little of the mony so raised by
the central powers governments went
out Of the country is LARGELY response
Bile for this Had Austria-Hungary
and Germany been able TO buy abroad
they might be in difficult position
oday, especially since an unrestricted
1r partly restricted import would in
no wise have been countcracted by eX-
port with nearly 12,O00,000 men
lnder arms, German and Austro-liun-
garian industries could not hope to
supply their foreign purchasers in
measure great enough to maintain the
Of export and import of nor
nal times. Imports, therefore. It is
said. would have caused detrimental
financial drains. As one Of the writ
RS says.
England did us a great favor in
,utting off our avenues Of trade
Fully IS per cent of the war loans
lave remained in the two countries.
rhe money has been spent for war
material turned out in the home
plants and most of it has been paid
)ut in wages Rich and poor alike
nave subscribed to the war loans The
savings bank subscriptions and partic-
patton Of working people show that
he war loans keep more or less the
lame money in circulation. The surest
Of leakage is the convers-
on Of commercial securities il Is as
serted. and this, while increasing a
little with each successive loan, has