The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-06-01
PUBLIC KITCHENS
FAILURE IN BERLIN
Wrecked by Hungry Mobs In
Rush for Food-Rich Pay
High Prices.

LONDON. June liberalization OF re-
ports on the actual food situation in
Germany reveals the fact that condi-
tons are becoming worse daily. officials
are no longer able to conceal the alarm
ing state of affairs. The food situation
Is threatening to become the most i'm
portant factor of the great war.
1t has been said that the German,
government prompted. alarming reportS
of a food shortage months ago with q
view to misleading enemies. This idea is
entirely unfounded. II Is obvious that
the German authorities are unable to
stage food riots throughout the coun-
try. thousands of women and children
waiting all night In front of the provis-
ion stores and the ever-growing discon-
tent OF the people which is apparent on
all sides.
A perusal of German newspapers dis
closes a wealth of occurrences revealing
real conditions. Complaints are heard
everywhere over difficulty of obtaining
supplies. which are constantly dwind-
ling. The gravity Of the situation is
shown by the appointment of Tortilovitz
Won Batocki as food dictator" whose
first efforts have not succeeded in i'm
proving the situation.
Not only meat and bread. but also all
fats. butter and eggs have been placed
upon card system. The allotment OF
eggs in the leading cities does not ex-
Secret Hoards Unearthed.
Protests against dealers accused OF
hording focdstuffs have resulted In
sending out police to search stores
and homes of merchants. who are heav-
lily punished when found guilty Of con-
cealing focdstu1s. The search of one
Berlin merchants store revealed the eN-
istence of a hollow floor. where large
quantities of foodstufts lay In hiding.
Measures taken by Won Batocki are
not welcomed by the people. The news
circulated in Berlin was the occasion OF
Wild riotirg, which tire Berliner Tage-
blatt reports as follows:
An attempt by the Charlottenburg
trcss by distribution through reranl-
bulating kitchens containing meals of
pork. peas and potatoes ended in utter
fiasco. Each kitchen contained 400 rints
OF stew. A few minutes after the kitch-
ems arrived the neighboring streets
thronged by thousands eager TO secure
a share.
DRIVERS and attendants were helpless
In the face OF the mob OF Shrieking men,
women and children. scooping up steam
Ing stew with pots. cups. crockery,
kitchenware OF every description and
even with bare hands. Hundreds OF old
dren were knocked down and tramplcd
upon. Within a quarter of AT hour tho
only evidences of fighting were broken
parts OF kitchen vans. smashed crock
cry and shreds Of clothing ltttering the
roadway.
Won't Repeat Experiment.
1.-THE authorities now announce that
the affair was an experiment, and that
1t will not be repeated. But this is
pity. They did not adopt any precau-
tons, which might have prevented the
further suffering to the people,"
The ecclesiastical consistory OF the
province of Brendeburg issues circu-
lar-letter to the clergy urging them to
pa al tbs stops osa wan their Se to osk
and "exhort them to improve and help
the situation and infiict punishment
when necessary"
The greatest anxiety is caused by the
decrease In the consumption OF milk by
children. caused by the shortage.
The Vossische Zletung says:
AT a moment when stores are raided
for concealing food and the owners are
severely punished. while those who have
not enough money to evade the law
stand in long lines for hours hoping to
obtain the smallest proportion of rations
allotted by food card. the rich are sur
reptitiously buying foodstuffs at out
rageous prices, thus depriving others OF
their fair share. We know the case of
n farmer who sold two geese for s45 One
automobilist paid $50 for a ham. A price
for which prize pig could be secured
In peace times.
THE appointment Of a food dictator
is not expected to remedy condition"
Dictator Has Hard Row.
The Muenchner Neuste Nachrichten
says:
1T is difficult indeed to cast the
horoscope of the new food dictator, who
IK1AIN nat fRNF h Dc ha
Of the moment in ZermenyNnamely At to
assure food supply for 10000. 900 peo-
pie. One thing Is certain: even the
iinest system of war rationing Is unable
to create more food material than we
possess
Much depends. however. upon wise
distribution. We expect therefore that
the new official will thoroughly organ
lie the whole food resources without
comproUise or narrow minded con-
sidern tions In favor of certain in
terested groups"
The Chemiker Zeit,ng, which is the
leading authority on chemistry In Ger
many, denouncos In strong terms some
OF the articles offered the people as
substitutes for nutritious foodstuffs.
Tho market fraud is denounced by this
paper as German infamy." 1t con-
| tinues:
Scores Food Substitutes.
The butter substitute which is so
much advertised is yellowish mass,
consisting of 50 per cent of water. II
per cent of butter fat, and Is per cent
of potato flour. This produce sells for
65 cents pound. The popular article
now is an egg substitute called chick
enette., 1t consists of yellow powder
which is really maize flour dyed yellow.
The well known salad oil substitute con-
tains % per cent water and the re-
mainder is gelatinized substances and
dyestuffs."
The official Government organ, the
Norddeutsche Allgemcine Zeitung, adj
mits the seriousness Of the food situa-
ton and adds:
"In spite of all we have held out and
have escaped not indeed prtvations but
all danger to our national existence.
This undoubtedly constitutes tho most
conclusive and irrefutable proof that all
| hope of defeating us by exhaustion of
| our food is idle and vain. II we have
not been starved out In year In which
we have sustained the deficiency of
s,OOO,OOO tons In the .rour. main crops
alone, as compared with the last peace
year we will never be starved out at
ALL"
| CL4lool Ct~ook 5000