Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-07-31
War Effects in Germany
BY Carl w. Ackerman,

has been bad. The people have lived
through on substitutes. The military
campaign has not been materially eff.
fected by the cnange in food conditions
at home. There has been no troubles
SO great as the Irish revolution. Food
dictator von Batocki took the mask
from the worlds eyes regarding the
food situation. Today he is well OH
the way to solution of the problem.
The biggest economic question in
Germany is not food, but: "What shall
Germany do to meet the preparations
Of the Allies to declare an economic
boycott of Germany and her allies
after the warl' Germany has chosen
for the solution of this problem Secre-
tary of the Interior, DIR. Karl Helf-
ferich.
Concerning the relationship of the
/ submarine campaign and the Gamer
/ lean Crisis to the economic situation
here, the German people believe sub
marine war against merchant ships was
retaliation, defensive measure,
I against the English blockade which
they say changed international law so
/ that food for non-combatants could be
/ declared contraband
To Break the Blockade
The view of the German people, as it
( is impressed upon correspondent in
| the last twelve months is this: The
submarine war was instituted to break
I the illegal blockade. Because England
did not respect the interests of the un-
warning people of Germany, Germany
felt she did not need to respect the in
I terests of her enemy. President Will
son, however, undertook to speak for
| the neutrals against the submarine
warfare but so far he has taken no
drastic steps against the English
| blockade.
President Botock recently told me
he lifted the veil from the food situa-
tion here to impress on America the
| if it was fair respecting its relations to
the belligerents it would do something
to inforce international law as it was
before the war respecting food stuffs.
Food for non-combatants was not con-
traband until the English Orcer IN
Council was made. Since then, practi-
cally no food stuff has come from
America to Germany.
The German people have lived
through a hard Summer so far as food
is concerned. Vegetables and fruit
have been plentiful but meat, butter
and other fats have been scarce. So at
times have been potatoes, rice and
beans. The market has been flooded
with substitutes. 1t is undoubtedly
true that if the food situation had
changed suddenly, from the plenty of
last Summer to the scarcity of this
Summer, the people could not have ad-
iusted themselves to it. But the
change has been gradual. At first one
did without meat two days week.
then the number of times increased to
four or five. Finally there were meat
less weeks but the people ate, com
planned or laughed and existed from
day to day.
Short of All Fats
An American woman who has lived
in Germany several years said she
would see n sign in shop window
reading Z" Butter" She would walk up
closer and underneath, in small letters,
was the statement that it was "sold
out or else it was an advertisements
of butter substitute made of fats
from the roots of plants. There has
been a substitute for everything. When
there were no more fats to fry with,
new frying pans were invented to fry
meat without fat.
The scarcity of food caused many
abuses and adulterations. A baker in
Hamburg was arrested for making
bread of sawdust SO was n Berlin
merchant arrested for adding G7 per
cent of water to butter. Abuses have
been watched for and stopped. Prices
have been very high. The SOCIALIST
have complained Of them in the Reich
stag with some success.
The first big difficulty was the law
of small German states forbidding the
export of food. Bavaria had much
more food than Prussia. The task of
Batoch was to abolish these regula-
tons.
Helfferich, who during the next 30
years will be one Of Germany's leading
figures has the new task of regulating
and developing Germany's industries.
Helfferich has had metoric career
though still in his early forties. Two
| years he lectured in the University of
Berlin, two years more he managed the
Anatolian railway for two years was
president of the Deutsche Bank, then
for two years Secretary Of the Treas
ury. Now for two years, so a member
of the Reichstag remarked to me ono
day he will be secretary of the interior
and then he added, "he may be the
next chancellor, but not during the
wal"
Prepares for After the War
! lIelfferich Is immediate job is to pre-.
pare for Germany's business in peace
time, He is to watch what the allies
do and prepare Germany's industries.
Those. who know Helfferich believe he
will be successful.
| There are many plans but the one
furthest developed is to have the gov
eminent import all raw materials, her
greatest need, after the war. Thereby
the lowest prices can be secured in
foreign lands and the products can be
sold at margin Germany. This mar
gin can be used to pay the debts of the
war and 80 keen down the ever heavy