Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-17
GERMANS TOLD HOW
TO LIVE ON LITTLE
Imperial War Food Bureau Lee
turer Tries to Convince the
Hungry in Germany That
They're Better Off
CHILDREN UNDERFED

In connection with recent reports from
Germany to the effect that the restrictions
In the consumption Of food due to war
conditions have had a beneficial influence
upon the health Of many inhabitants Of the
Fatherland. especially those who were In
olinsd to overeat before the war began,
comes a story telling how the Imperial war
Food Bureau ia sending Prof Ismar Boas,
one OF Germany's authorities on food values,
through the empire lecturinR before women'B
associations on How One Can Almost Live
| on Nothing" The Berliner Vorwaerts re-
marks that, while the learned professor vlr-
tually proves that person can live on al
most nothing. It seriously doubts " such
life is worth living.
In one Of his recent lectures as reported
In the German newspapers and summarized
by the London press Doctor Boas declared
that his main object really was TO dispel
the prevailing apprehension thatathere was
any danger OF the national health being Inn
paired by undernutrition. He contended
that one could speak of undernutrition only
when the pre-war standard was accepted as
| normal. As matter Of fact, the pre-
war standard was overnutrltion. and II In
vast number of cases war food had re-
suited In diminishing glrth and weight. these
itShllS were TcAlly DleRslnRS IN uisE0lAe
which should not bo taken tragIcally.
QUIT FOOD IDoLATRY
II was only permitted TO speak OF under
nutrition when loss OF weight and circumfer-
ence was accompanied by loss Of physical
and mental powers. and. for 30 far. no de-
terioration In these respects was noticeable
Professor Boas's great authority on the abil-
ity to exist on next to nothing Is a Danish
food expert named Hindhede, who for sew
eral years supported himself and his family
on potatoes, bread and butter. and fruit, at a
cost OF a trife over cents n day per per-
SON Herr BoRs asks the Germans to follow
the example of the Dane and throw to the
winds their idolatrous veneration for certain
foods which they falsely regard as rich in
albumen"
lust think" said Doctor Boas. what we
might be able TO do were we TO get rid of
this food idolatry. 1t would take some time
to accustom ourselves to living on almost
nothing, but when we have arrived at that
point we shall have obtained striking VIC
tory over ourselves. and from an economic
point OF view the gain will be immense"
The women OF the association he was
addressing audibly expressed disapproval
Of this. but the professor had come pro-
vlded with figures and showed them on the
blackboard that the $500 calories which the
human body daily required might be found
In 2.917 grams of potatoes, as well as In
2.SS7 grams OF beef, or in thlrty-nve eggs.
And the price of the potatoes was only
cents whereas the eggs cost $3.50 and the
beef 81. Beans were fine. he said You
could get your $500 calories in S23 grams OF
beans, and the cost, even at war prices. was
only 35 cents
DISORDER ENDS MEETING
One woman in the audience told the Iec-
turer that, according to his theory, the less
the nation ate the healthier the people
would become. Herr Boas did not think
that this was a fair deduction II carried
to extremes, a remark which the women
greeted with laughter
The meeting Is said to have ended In
some disorder and Herr Boas as he left
the platform, had some caustic remarks
addressed to him about his food theories.
In the course OF an interview with rep
Tesentative of the local German press, Dr.
Frank D. Gorham, who has just returned
from nine months stay in Germany as a
member of the American Physicians Ex-
peditlon, which Is doing good work in sew
eral hospitals in the Fatherand, after as
serting that the food problem in Germany
had been solved In satisfactory manner.
is quoted as saying:
But In all this (the food regulation)
there Is no danger for the Germany OF to-
day II Is the coming generation that will
have to suffer from the consequences OF
the shortage OF food The young persons
are undernourished. This doesn't mean that
the children have to go hungry. They have
enough 10 satisfy their appetltes. But their
food Is not made up In way calculated 10
satisfy the demands OF growing body
Many of the substitutes the artificial food
stufrs, fulhll their purpose very well for the
moment. but the body is not SO strong as
1t would be under normal conditions"
Doctor Gorham confirmed the reports
that there was a serious shortage OF doctors
In Germany.