Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-03-29
NOW FACING
GREAT MEAT famine
Captures From Enemies Have
Greatly Replenished Austro-
German Supply.

Vienna.--None TO plentiful before the
war, meat is likely 10 become Il real
luxury in Europe, after peace is de-
clared and remain so for & considerable
time until stock breeding has prog
ressed on an immense scale.
The central! power group believes it
will find itself better off than tine
entente group in this respect, but both
groups will certainly tind it a serious
problem. AT the expiration of two
years of warfare--which period will
soon be reached-it is estimated the
entente powers will be short 7,555, 600
head of meat animals, while the central
pied by their armies, would in that
time lose only 1900, 600 heads through
over-cOnsLmption u to the war.
Commenting pom the situation the
Paris Revue Des lDeuX Mondes points
out that France lost 20 per cent of its
meat animal stock by the occupation of
10 departments of the Germans. France
lost through this 1,51O, 00U horned cattle,
14,S04,31O sheep and S14,319 pigs. This
means, says the periodical. that France
is deprived of an annua! meat prOduc-
ton of All, 900 tons.
The live stock of Belgium also was
lost by the entente, this being estimated
to amount to about 1000, coo heads of
cattle, $4,000, 600 sheep and over 2.00O,-
600 pigs. Germany gained thus the
lilcStl tiOQQClloH VI lOulQiS OS,UUU,VUU
animals in the western theater alone.
Though the Russians saved much of
their live stock in Poland and the in
vaded Russian provinces, nearly 49,
O00, 900 meat animals fell in the hands
of the Germans and Austro-Hungar-
ians. Against this must be charged the
losses sustained by the central powers
in Galicia and east Prussia, said to
amount to about 5000, 900 heads. be-
cause in east Prussia much of the
stock was driven off beforehand. while
the Galician live stock had already been
drawn on heavily by the Austro-Hun-
garian troops.
The live stock found in Serbia is es-
tirnated at about 5000, 900 heads of
meat animals, so that the central pow
ers have in their favor a balance Of
about $4,000, 900 animals. This means a
meat production of roundly 100000
tons per year..
This cannot be looked upon as an in
crease altogether of the central pow
ers' food supply. In the territories
from which this live stock comes lives
Il population of about IS, 000, 900, whose
thcless, the meat production of the ter
%ritories occupied by the German and
Austro-Hungarian troops being some
3S,21S, GOO, 600 pounds annually, which is
1892 pounds per capita, a large sur
plus is left for the occupying troops.
"A SA'lLi ASS VI = llS lOl
each inhabitant of the districts held,
would place at the disposal of the Ger
mans and Austro- H~ungarians, 20, 7O0,-
100000 pounds per year. Even in view
of the fact that the meat consumption
of the central powers armies is 456
pounds for each man a year, this guam
titN would go far towards maintaining
the men in the field.
That pork and pork fats are hard to
get at present in the central powers
/ countries NAV he hard tn 11n6arSto nd i'm
the light of these conditions. But the
following explanation of this fact is
given here. Pork has been the favorite
meat of the men at the front, owing
to it's heat producing qualities, and in
addition, last year, when the grain and
potato crops of the central empires
We're decidedly poor. too many pigs
We're butchered in order to lessen the
demand for feed.
Before the outbreak Of the war. the
live stock of Europe, the Balkan states
and the Ottoman empire not included,
stood as follows:
Entente states-76, 632, s12 cattle.
104.604,962 sheep, 30,003,912 pigs.
Central states-4 ,746,912 cattle, 49,
5S6,399 sheep, 36.446,3 91 pigs.
Neutral States-107, 506,00S cattle.
1874, 273, 872 sheep, 81, o63, OS4 pigs.
Entente states which are least favor
ably situated in their meat supply COM
ing from home production are Great
L - Il ain ASoiSs ~ Pc
capita consumption in Great Britain is
about $50 pounds. OF this GO per cent
has to be imported. A table recently
compiled by the we'll known Italian
economist. Ferretti. shows that Italy
has already used one-half of it's horned
cattle to feed its army.
Russia is probably best off in this
respect, though heavy demands on It's
meat production have also been made.
To feed its army. estimated at S,0O0.-
000 men under arms, took during the
first war year no less than 300, 900, 900
heads of meat animals.
France in addition to having lost Il
considerable share of meat animals, is
obliged to feed about 5000, 900 refugees
from the occupied departments and
Belgium. Russia has to care similarly
for owe 100000 refugees.
Between the average normal meat
consumption of the nations at war,
ranging from 40 to $50 pounds per
capita. and the consumption of meat
by some $4,000, 900 men under arms,
running from 22O and 260 pounds per
man, in the Italian and French armies
respectively, and reaching 456 pounds
per man in the German, Austro-Hun-
garian and Russian armies, there is a
difference of roughly $780, 900 tons. Ac-
cording to French economists it takes
142, O0O, 600 animals to produce this an
nually.
The total meat animal stock of the
belligerent states was 343, 700, 900 heads
at the outbreak of the war. The ex-
cess consumption by the armies of Eu-
rope is therefore a little more than Al
per cent of the nua supply of meat,
a serious matter when it is considered
that with these inroads upon live stock
the rate of reproduction is also much
decreased.