The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-17
The Phantom OF Hunger Appears
in Germany.

An empire Of 100000 people keep
ing body and soul together under the
direction Of a Minister Of Provisions
with the power Of a dictator to or
der what food shall be eaten and the
weight and quantity, y the spectacle
that Germany will present after
nearly two years Of war. Between
the stories of hunger riots printed in
the London newspapers and the off,
cial denials from Berlin 1t Is not easy
to trace the line Of truth, but that the
British blockade has brought the Ger
man people within measurable dis
lance Of famine u no longer to be
| doubted.
While 1t may be true. as the Vos-
sichc Zcitun9 says, that foreign ma
lions mistake the results of bad or
gnnization of our food distribution
for symptoms Of national disaster"
| what ure we to think Of the statement
emanating from Berlin that the &C.
lection of n man capable Of organizing
] the food supply of the country Is of
| greater importance than the capture
Of Verdun? 1t was early in the war
| that stores of grain were comman-
dcercd us n pr~ecaution against specu-
lation. Later there were all sorts Of
regulations to prevent waste by con-
sumcrs, but It seems they were made
quate. Then the Government re-
>,rictcd sales Of staples, and organ
lied soup and meat kitchens, besides
advising how life could be sustained
with certain foods eliminated from
the dietary. This wns not famine,
bur It was privation.
Now famine looms ms a phantom
against the background OF a II
may be held Mt bay only by rationing
the people as II they were soldiers In
n bclcaguercd city. By general con-
sent the army must have food to
! fight on. but even the army can no
longer enjoy plenty. Foresighted and
thorough MS the Government has been
in planning campaigns In the east and
west, and carrying them on. II has
never until now considered a food die
tatorShip for non-combatants. The
functions and responsibilities Of n
Minister of Munitions are compare
lively simple: he has only to manu-
facture guns. shells md cartridges,
and see that the army is supplied with
enough Of them to fight its battles.
But Il much more difficult and intri-
cate task is that Of n Minister Of
Provisions. for he must not only And
food for 7O,UOO.OOO Of people, but d.
vide 1t equitably and keep the hun
cry quiet. Stock car be taken Of
what is on hand and what In sight,
so that the present holds no battling
problem; hut what Of the long drawn
out months to come with uncertain
harvests and dwindllng supplies?
It is estimated that In the year
before the war Germany imported
100000 tons Of fertilizers. Now she
must SOW without this indispensable
aid to bounty, and the rain and sun
may be unpropitious influences. II
must he evident that the ramifying
details of organization will try ever
the genius of the German admins
tration. Never was there such n
problem ms planning to feed 10000
900 for nm indefinite time.
No doubt the reports If a German
food shortage are exaggerated In the
Scandinavian countries where they
originate: and II may he supposed
that the reports lose nothing In the
telling In London. But one has only
to make n rough calculation Of the
nmount OF provisions Of which the
German population Is deprived by the
British blockade to realize hat after
nearly two years Of conflict the pinch
OF hunger Is beginning to be felt In
Germany. IT seems inhuman as the
-, dire want imposed on belea guered
Paris in 1871 was inhuman. The end
was %capitulation when the straits to
which its people were reduced were
too narrowing to describe. Germany
might be able to hold out for years
with elaborate organization, but only
a great victory In the field will save
I her from cumulative suffering.