The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-22
GERMAN FOOD SHORTAGE


"wolf" SO long about German star
walton that they. forfeited the at
tention of hearers. Two years ago
Germany first faced trouble in re-
gard to the food supply. During 1915
the Kaiser's officials put into effect
a system of restrictions controlling
the chief foodstuffs, beginning with
bread. A good harvest, particularly
favorable in respect to one of the two
great German vegetable staples, po-
tatoes, pulled the empire out of q
tight place for the moment that fall.
Large captures Of meat animals in
the conquest of Poland ameliorated
the Teutonic position to a yet
greater extent.
As for the harvest Of 1915, it was
produced by the systematic organi-
zation of agriculture under govern
ment supervision, on a maximum
scale, working in partnership with
the favoring influences of nature in
a good season. As a result Of the
several fortunate condolences in
volved' in Germany's 1915 food situa-
ton the allowances of daily proven
der to the inhabitants suffered no
radical diminution between the au-
tumn of 1915 and the spring of 1916.
These allowances, though scanty for
the comfort of normal persons, suf-
feed to maintain bodily health in
most cases, it would appear, in the
absence of evidence to the contrary.
1t became necessary, none the less,
for the Teutons to exc out their sup
plies before 1916 had run to harvest
time. They bought in all 1,500,0 900
tons or more of cereals from Rou-
mania between December, 1915, and
March, 1916, as a first step in/the
direction of replenishment. AS a
second step they drew the utmost
possible food shipments from Hun
garian ranges and granaries. Finally
they came to the expedient of COM
munity preparation of foods in a
great number of German towns, in
their endeavor to make the supply
go further by the elimination Of
waste. By these means the govern
ment made shift to carry the popu-
lation over to the 1916 harvest time
on virtually the full diet determined
upon by the dietetic inquiry Of 1914
as necessary for public health.
Great hopes having been put on
the 1916 harvest, it was at first an
nounced to be above average in re-
spect to most food crops and ample
even in potatoes. The reliability of
this official reas' urance was some
what obscured by the fact that the
season elsewhere in Europe had been
too wet, and that rains were known
to have been excessive in the central
empires as well. Further doubt was
cast by the appointment of food
dictator for Germany about the stage
when the truth as to the harvest
prospects must have become known
to the government. Roumania chose
the moment to break with the leu
tons, and thus cut them off from
peace access to 100000 bushels or
more Of grain. Mackensen's Rou-
manian invasion, which occupied the
autumn of 1916, had its food hunt
ing as we'll as its military purpose.
1t resulted presumably in the cap
ture Of a part of the new Roumanian
crop; but it can hardly have yielded
SO well as would have a grain pur-
chase negotiated peaceably without
the destruction or waste involved in
the military overrunning of the coun-
try. Presumably the entente side
succeeded, as London has lately an
nounced, in destroying a great part
of the harvested Roumanian crop.
For this to have been neglected
would be an unbelievable stroke of
luck for the Teuton side. 1t is true
that German reports have boosted
the seizure of the garnered crop al
most intact, but such an assertion is
more natural to a belligerent in diff
culties than it is credible on its face.
To contrast the food situation in
Germany at the outset of 1917 with
that a year previous, Germany had
in the earlier case the advantage of
an unusually good crop; now she has
to nourish herself from an inferior
one. She had then a source of out
side supply in Roumania, Bulgaria,
and Turkey, Of which the chief was
Roumania; now the Roumanian sup
ply has been curtailed. In addition,
many stocks, such as those of lux
urious food articles and of live ami
mails, must have run down. The num-
Der of mouths to feed is hardly d.
unfinished, since the wastage of war
is made up partly by captives. Fac