The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-02-19
WHAT WILL THEY EAT
WHEN PEACE G0MES?.
Central Powers Believe They
Are Better Off Than
Their Opponents.

VIENNA, Jan. neutrality-suspicious.
Of The Associated Press) None too
plentiful before the war, meat is like
" to become real luxury In Europe
after peace Is declared and remain
so for considerable time until stock
breeding has progressed on an I'M
mense scale.
The Central Power group believes
it will find itself better of than the
Entente group in this respect but
groups will certainly find 1t q seri.
Gus problem. At the expiration OF
two years of warfare-which period
will soon be reached-it is estimated
the Entente powers will be short q.
SIS 900 head OF meat animals, while
the Central group, owing the terri;
tories occupied by their armies, would
in that time only 22,000,000 heads
through oyer-consumption due to the
war.
Commenting upon the situation the
Paris ReyuE Des Deux Mondes points
out that France lost 20 per cent. OF
its meat animal stock by the oceupa-
ton of ten departments OF the {Ger-
mans. France lost through this l.
$4,000 horned cattel, 14,804,310 sheep
and S14,919 pigs. This means. says
the periodical, that France Is deprlV-
ed Of an annual meat production OF
All 900 tons.
The live stock of Belgium also was
lost by the Entente, this being esti-
mated to about 100000 heads OF cat
tie, 100000 sheep and over 2,OOO,-
600 pigs. Germany gained thus the
meat production of roundly 39,000,OOO
animals in the Western theatre alone.
Though the Russians saved much
of their live stock in Poland and the
invaded Russian provinces, nearly 40,-
100000 meat animals fell in the hands
of the Germans and Austro.H ungar-
ians. Against this must be charged
the losses sustained by the Central
powers in Galicia and East Prussia,
said to amount to about S,00e,00O
heads, because in East Prussia much
of the stock was driven on before
hand, while the Galician live stock
had already been drawn on heavily
by the Austro-H Hungarian troops.
The live stock found in Serbia Is
estimated nj about 100000 heads OF
meat animals, SO that the Central
powers have on their favor balance
of about 100000 animals. This
means a meat production OF roundly
100000 tons per year.
This cannot be looked upon as an
increase altogether of the Central
powerss food supply. In the territor-
les from which this live stock comes
lives a population of about 35,0000OO,
whose wants must be met, of course.
Nevertheless, the meat production OF
the territories occupied by the Ger
man and stro.Hungarian troops be-
ing some 3S,21s, 900 900 pounds annual
". which Is 1892 pounds per capita,
large surplus Is left for the incom-
ing troops. A daily meat ration OF
eight ounces for each tnhabttant Of
fine districts held, would place at the
disnosal of the Germans and Austro.
Hungarians 20, 700, 100000 pounds per
wear. Even In view OF the fact that
the meat consumption of the Central
mowers armies is 456 pounds for. each
man a year, this quantity would go far
towards maintaining the men In the
field.
That pork and pork fats are hard
10 get at present in the Central pow.
erss countries may be hard to under
stand in the light of these conditions,
Rmt the following explanation OF this
fart Is given here. Pork has been the
favorite meat of the men at the front
owing to, its heat-producing- Qualities,
and in addition, last year, when the
Grain and potato crops of the Central
empires were decidedly poor. too many
nigs were butchered In order to les
sen the demand for feed.
BEFORE the outbreak of the war, the
=, 49,. "a IFurona the Balkan states