The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-02-13
GERMANY'SFOODIS
PREVIOUSLY short
(concluded FROM Pake -

tria, all also have claim on whatever
there may be. Though Germany IL run
ming the military situation in Rumania,
Germany is very far away. Her a6
thorities have known for weeks that
there was little to expect from Rnma
MIA, and have tried TO break the evil
news gently. First came the announcer
ment that the size Of the supplies cap
tured was unknown, then the word
that whatever might be found would
not be used but kept as a reserve.
II is, OF course, the big German cit
les that are suffering, and that are GO
ing TO suffer increasingly as the war
continues. Lack Of transportation ia
cilities is an Increasingly imPertant
factor. 49,
Germany, which before the war had
somewhat more than ample freight cars
for its own needs, now has 20 take the
same number of ears, approximately
do for all Of the Germaa empire, near.
" all Of Belgium, Northern France, all
Poland, and big piece Of Russia, IN
addition TO Serbia, Montenegro and the
biggest half of Rumania. Only a res
latively small number of cars captured
in Belgium has been added to the
German rolling stock. ...
As the war has gone on the condition
Of this rolling stock has deteriorated
steadily, and scarcely any OF. il has
been replaced. A shortage Of oils has
not allowed the proper care OF what
cars there are; hot boxes on both
passenger and freight cars are
everyday < Occurrences. The engines
have now TO draw such heavy loads
that they are going to pieces faster
than they used TO.
Feed and fodder conditions from
German livestock improved somewhat
through last years harvests, but only
somewhat. The cattle are still thin and
seraggly. The milch cattle give less
than ever and there is little milk that
can be spared for cheese. The cattle,
when slaughtered, give less meat than
they used TO, and SO horse meat has had
to be resorted to in a, degree that is
| unprecedented. ..s
The available supply Of swine has
never recovered from the original Ger
man mistake of 1914 and 1915, when
millions Of pigs were slaughtered to
save the food that they deVoured, only
thereby reducing the supply of fat TO
a dangerous point. The Germans have
never forgiven themselves for that
short -sightedness. .',
| Sugar Mighty Scarce '., Nv.
| The same in a measure holds true of
sugar. There had been an over supply
in 1914, and solemn warnings went ont
not to plant 10 much land to sugar
beets, and more to grain. The peas
antry followed the advice too literally,
and Germany awoke to find that she
had hardly more than enough sugar for
purposes other than food. So the big
cities are in part living on saecharine
now, and there ism Y enough Of that,
The coffee tsstretehing0 process be
gan last spring, and has continued So
diligently that real coffee Is an almost
unattainable rarity, and the average
t" coffee" that is available is so poor
as to be undrinkable for, the person
used to real coffee. Substitutes such
as chieory, herbs, mixtures Of all kinds
have taken coffee b place. @t4 49,.
The most perfect organization and
system in the world has stepped in and
SO regulated Food affairs that every
adult in the empire is pretty well as
sured of half a pound of meat week
But nearly every ounce Of that halt
pound is lean meat. The fat rarely
reaches the purchaser, for it Is jeal
oasy boarded by the government.
System likewise has provided thai
there shall be no more butter riots
or bread riots or meat lines. There il
now q so-c3led 'fcustomers' list
/ whereby each resident of any large city
is registered with one dairy store, anc
J one baker, and one butcher, The Gus
toner has a number, and on statet
days may purchase his OF her quota o.
food by number. Government .secre
service agents have been busy, ferret
ting out cases Of extortion and over
charging, and heavy fines and impris
onments have been salutary in thei
! effect. Likewise the custom Of hoard
ing, which the Germans call ''ham
stering" after the animal ~ Hamster'
or grounding has been Discouraged t.
a great extent by fines and other pun
; ishments.
During the anal months Of 1916 Gel
mans Of the Weather class helped gu
their scanty larders with butter, eggs
cheese and the like which they procure
from convenient relatives" whoI
they discovered in Holland and Den
mark. Now that has been done ava
with. From the first of January on tn
German government, through its Gen
! trail Purchasing Company, will buy a.
the food in adjoining foreign countrie
that those countries viii or may eel
and win distribate It equally in Gel
MANY '- ..