Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-10-01

carry II DObOdV knows
To turn from the meat problem
which will he worse in the future
to the troubles of the pres mt, Her.
Won Batocki at secret conference re-
Gently told large group of landown-
ers and politicians what the actual
position Is at the moment. He di-
vided the 65 million people of Ger
many into four great groups. About
twenty million, he said. work on the
land. and eat what they Ike OF their
own produce No government can
prevent them from doing this. and
they thus eliminate themselves from
the food problem 80 far as their own
sustenance is concerned, although un-
fortunately they eat more not only
than the rations allowed the rest OF
the civil population. but even than
the allotment for the army, which
should get the best OF everything. OF
the remaining forty millions he
| classed fifteen millions as soldiers
railway workers, munition laborers
or in some way directly concerned
with the carrying on OF the war
These men and women-for women
munition workers are rationed as well
as the soldiers at the front-are sup
posed to eat about the equivalent OF
/ 2 40C foCd Galleries per dtV r.,
figure, Herr BotocN pointed out, is
| figure, Herr BatoCki pointed out, Is
minimum upon which life can be
maintained without lowering physical
and mental efficiency. In the United
States the average consumption pei
capita is about 400 calorics daily
! from which comparison the American
unskilled in food science can appre-
Ciate the German diet.
Many Germans suffer
Herr Batocki then pointed out to
his very select audience that five mill
lion people can afford to buy what
the law allows them at any prices. but
that the remaining 100000 Ger
mans not on the land or in war work
had to take what was left, even
though the remainder, he said,
amounted at the time he spoke to
2,200 food calories, or two hundred
calories less than the minimum stand
ard for sustaining life This state
ment made a sensation, and, needless
to say, was not permitted to appear
In the German press, Herr Batocki
held forth hope that just as soon as
the new harVests were in it would be
possible to raise the submerged 25.-
d.
level. There are already indications
that this is being done. The millions
who have thus been forced to CON
sumo less than needed to keep them
in shape less than half what the
average American eats are not all of
the very lowest social class. but in
clude school teachers storekeepers
and poorly off doctors and lawyers
who have no claim on war rations and
have not enough money to buy the
luxuries available at the shops The
poor must live off the cheap staples
for which they require meat bread,
butter and potato tickets. T'e rea-
son the rich five million can live
better is that they can afford other
foods for which tickets are not re-
quired; the richest millionaire is al
lowed by law no more of the tick
ieted staples Than the poorest aborer.
although the public believes that by
hook or crook the rich get about all
the bread, butter and meat they
want, through collusion with the
grocers who reap huge profits by
this illcgitimate trade at enormous
prices.
To sum up the food situation. Ger
many cannot be starved out-unless
the war lasts four years, when her
/
harvest one-third of her population
may be reduced to the verge of
| famine. She Is. however, living on her
capital stock in meats. and how that
| stock is to be replenshed when peace
! comes worries her statesmen and even
has a strong influence in moderating
the terms on which she is willing to
! step fighting. I
My informant characterized as alb
4 nd h. 10.
and in the United States. that Ger
man manufacturers will dump" vest
quo ntities of manufactured goods into
the world markets Immediately af-
ter the peace.
No Reserve Stores.
There are no great stores of goods
in Germany waiting to be marketed
with the exception Of warehouses full
| of toys, aniline dyes and certain
drugs which are Of no use to Ger
| many during the war. Manufactured
| stock Of all kinds, especially textiles,
has been used up by the people them
selves during the war, since ordinary
manufacturing is almost at Il stand
still.
Not only will there be no dumping
but German industry will be terribly
handicapped for years in competition
with its present enemies and neutrals
because Of the shortage of raw ma
terials. Even the steel and iron manu-
facturers, though they have greatly
| enlarged their plants and are doing
an incredible amount of war work
cannot undertake immediate exports
when peace comes because they must
| first import hundreds of thousands
| OF tons Of copper. zinc and materials
which Germany can get now with the
greatest difficulty II at all, and which
| are reserved for military work.
There IL no raw cotton in Ger
many excepting the reserve used IN
| manufacturing high explosives. and
very little wool, and cotton and wool
must be imported In great quantities
| before the textile mills can csume
| operations. So far from Germany
outstripping her rivals in foreign
markets her manufacturer are lving
| awake nights worrying because they
think British and French industry
! released from war work. will gral
| the old German markets before raw
material can be imported to the
Fatherland. turned into finished prod
ucts and exported.
There is also much suppressed feat
| concerning the position Of German
credit after the war since Ii is now
recognized everywhere that no val
| indemnities are to be locked for. Tine
worlds business is carried on bv the