The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-15
German Order Cuts Off Bread
From Prisoners.
Red Cross Official Sees Design
to Force Peace.
may STARVE 300, 600 FRENCH
Only LOayes to individuals to
Be Received.
"Staff of Life" Is Chief Exis-
tence to Famished Men.

Geneva, Switzerland. Jan. by
official order, Germany has stopped
the shipment of bread to prisoners-of-
war in Germany, unless each package
s of bread is addressed to an individual
prisoner This order has caused con-
sternation to those in charge of the
bread supply to prisoners as they say
it is practically impossible to send in
dividual 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
sinister move to strike such terror
among the allies on the starving con-
dition of their prisoners, that they will
be willing to listen to peace.
The International Red Cross organ
ization has its headquarters here, adj
ministering it's affairs for the whole
world at this central point. Gustave
Adoe. a distinguished Swiss citizen. is
ut the head. and Max Dollfus. an AL
satan of strong French sentiment is
head of the bureau for prisoners-of-
war As such Mr.. Dollfus was made
director of the bread supply furnished
French prisoners-of-war in Germany,
and it was he who told the Associated
E Press of the order and the grave effect
It would have.
Small Portion in Packages.
Bread is the very element of
Trrenchman'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 a vast organization
by which bread has been poured into
lGermany to meet this primary want
A small part of it has gone in individ-
ual packages, but the great bulk has
been without individual names, as it
is impossible to designate each one of
about 800. 900 prisoners in daily
bread supply.
Il have had many opportunities to
see the serious effect of short bread
rations to prisoners" added Mr.. Doll
fus. "The prisoners returning to
France have been conveyed by me to
Lyons and other points in central
France. and I have personally wit
messed their condition and heard their
reports. For example, in one party OF
400 prisoners which 1 conveyed, $50
developed tuberculosis from being in
famished condition from a lack of
bread-they were literally emaciated
skeletons stricken with fatal disease.
And this was typical eff the result of
thort bread rations.
Prisoners Rations Scanty.
THE German ration to prisoners.
Mr.. Dollfus went on, lis one small
loaf about four inches in diameter, in
tthe morning. This is intended for the
day, but the famished men eat it at
once. and that ends their bread sup
en- at noon. That is the reason we
have been pouring in this bread sup
ply, largely in bulk, but to individuals
so far as they could be traced. 1t has
proved a life-saver to thousands. And
yet by this order of the 9th, this
bread supply in bulk is cut off
This can mean only another great
tragedy, and l am convinced there
must be a purpose behind such a move
Ia purpose to force the allies to con-
slider terms of peace, rather than see
their own people dying of starvation.
And we expect, also. that if the bulk
supply is cut off. this will soon be fol-
lowed by cutting off the individual
packages.
Taking about SOC. 900 French pris-
oners as a basis, perhaps half of them
can be reached by the efforts of
families and friends in sending indi-
vidual packages. That leaves 150 900
to be looked after daily. 1t takes 8
kilos of bread to supply one man ade-
quately for a month, or ,200,0 900 kilos
for $50, 600 prisoners per month. 1 am
paying 46 centimes per kilo (9.1b
cents) but the cost may advance to 10
centimes GA cents) This makes about
f75 cents per man per month, or about
100000 francs ($120,000) for $50. 900
Tmen per month. That is the problem
(which 1 am trying to work out-alI
resulting from this order cutting off
the bulk bread supply"