Bisbee daily review., 1916-01-20
GERMANY RESTRICTS
 BREAD SHIPMENTS
Edict Limits Bread Supplies for Imprisoned Allies to a Small Number; Ruling Is Called Sinister.

bread to prisoners of war in Germany, unless each package of bread is ad- dressed to an individual prisoner. This order has caused consternation to those in charge of the bread sup ply to prisoners, as they say it is practically impossible to send indivi- dual packages except to a few, and that the great bulk of prisoners will have their bread supply cut off. They declare, too, that back of this order is a sinister move to strike such ter TOT among the Allies on the starving condition of their prisoners, that they will be willing to listen to peace.
 The International Red Cross organi- cation has it's headquarters here, ad- ministeging it's affairs for the whole world at tins central point, Gustavc Adoe, a distinguished Swiss citizen, is at the head, and Max Dollfus, an Al sation of strong Fench sentiment, is head of the bureau for prisoners of war. As such MT. Dollfus was made director of the bread supply furnished ] French prisoners of war in Germany, and it was he who told the Associat- ed Press of the order of Dec. 27, and the grave effect it would have.
 Bread is the very element of a | Frelchman's existence" said he, you can cut off anything else and he can stand it, but he must have bread. Now we have built up vast organization by which bread has been poured into Germany to meet this primary want. A small part of it has gone in indi- vidual packages, but the great bulk has been without individual names, a: it is impossible to designate each one of about 300,000 prisoners in daily bread supply. And yet this order of Dec. 27 cuts off everything not ad dressed in an individual package direct to the prisoner. So that the great bulk of this supply is stopped
 ''I have had many opportunities to see the serious effect of short bread rations to prisoners" added MT. Doll fus. "The prisoners returning to France and l have personally wit messed their condition and heard their reports. For example, in one party of 400 prisoners which l conveyed, 25C had developed tuberculosis from beins in a famished condition from lack of bread-they wereN literally emaciated skeletons stdiken with fatal disease. And this was typical of the result Of short bread rations.
 "The German ration to prisoners" MT Dollfus went on, 'is one small | loaf, about four inches in diameter, in the morning. This is intended for the day, but the famished men eat it at once, and that ends their bread supply for the day, only soup being given at noon. That is the reasoE we have been pouring in this bread supply, largely in bulk, but to indi- viduals so far as they could be traced. It has proved a life saver to thou sands. And yet by this order of the 27th, this bread supply in bulk is cut off.
 This can mean only another great tragedy" said MT. Dollfus, "and l am convinced there must be a purpose be- hind such a move-a purpose to force the Allies to consider terms of peace, rather than to see their own people dying of starvation. And we expect, also, that if the bulk supply is cut off. this will soon be followed bu cut ting off the individual packages, on the grounds that it is too great an undertaking to distribute these indi- vidual daily supplies. And so we are faced with the present stoppage Of the bulk supply and the probable stoppaee of the remaining individual supply.
 "I am seeking as best as possible to meet this condition, bu organizing a complete service of individual pack ages, but it will be a work requiring much help from private sourees-ln which l hope America will help as It did in Belgium-and will be supported Dy the Allleu SONcIuiilchto oS AoA ~S possible But it is a strange fact that the Hague Convention designed for the betterment of the world, stands Tn the way of a government helping Us own prisoners. One provision Of the Hague agreement is that the country holding prisoners shall be charged with feeding them, and that the coun- try from which the prisoners come shall have no control of the matter That provision, made in peace times, has had an unfortunate effect in actu- al war times, and France and Eng Hand are thus prohibited by the Hague lagreement from officially seeking to controll the bread or food supply Of their prisoners in Germany. There fore we must organize it without d. rect government support, but with the expectation that the Allied govern ments will give it semi-ottcial recog- hilton without excroaching on the Hague agreement.
 Taking about 300,000 French pri- eonars aS a haSis DprhaDS hall Ot