Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-03
What They Believed About England

and the world wanted to believe Ger.
many starving in 1915. 1916 and 1917
just as Germany would like TO pelleVe
England starving in 1917
Whether or not Germany Will ge'
hungry enough to quit fighting this
winter. 1 am convinced. depends upon
exact stage of that hunger. 1t will de-
pend upon the issue for which the Ger
man people will be convinced that they
are fighting. If they are convinced that
they are fighting for their existence as
nation it will take lot more munger
than is now in sight to force them to
yield. But if they come to doubt the
honesty of their government in its ef-
forts to secure an honorable peace, or
If they begin to believe that they are
fighting either for conquest or to md
richer markets or to add to anybody 8
profits. the will to endure" as the Ger
mans love to phrase their ability to get
along on half rations, will dwindle
quickly and dangerously.
Food Conditions Serious.
Food conditions in Germany are seri-
GUS No one in Germany denies that
ticians who try to figure out how many
grains of wheat it takes to make full
sized bread card admits it, The supply
passed the minimum of comfort long
left the individual German considerably
less able to stand severe strain. How
near the present rations and the pres
ent supply come to the minimum of ac-
show.
Few human beings can exist for a
long time on insufficient food. That
depends on their strength, physical as
we'll as psychical. For more than a
year the weak have been paying the
terrible price of the war of starvation.
The aged, the infirm, the invalid, have
been increasing the mortality lists:
have been fatal because patients lacked
the reserve strength needed to meet a
crisis Convalescence has been slow
and often impossible.
Inconvenience, Not Hunger.
Since January, 1915. I have lived on
German rations among the Germans.
Most of the neutrals of other countries
in Berlin. especially those who were
there on professional business. obtained
ments. The United, States limited this
strictly to the members of it's embassy
and consular STATS. But l have not
starved. Often I have been hungry,
without lot of things 1 used to think
were necessities of life. 1 had to mas
ter the intricacfes of bread cards. meat
cards. potato cards, butter cards. sugar
cards. egg cards. coffee substitute
cards, milk cards and cards that were
variously good for a few ounces Of peas
or oatmeal, or macaroni, or honey. or
the city of Berlin was able to secure
for its residents.
OF course. / eked this out with items
of food that were not on the rationed
lists and by living in restaurants and
hotels which found some way of
STRETCHING" the meager allotments into
pretty stable meals. But this was nee
essariiy an expensive style of life. and
only the richest classes in Berlin could
AFFORD this method of fighting starva-
ton. The hardship came heaviest on
the average professionals or officials
during the war. but whose household
expenses. despite the utmost economy.
doubled and trebled as the menu grew
more meager.
Poorer Glasses Better Supplied.
The poorer classes. especially the
WORKING families. did not suffer SO
much. For them. wages had risen be-
You'd the dreams of peaceful avarice.
and paternalistic government distrib-
uted special supplies of foods which
the hungry well-to-do could not ac-
quire. But somehow everybody seemed
to live through it,
For me. the hardships never were
such as to be dangerous. The scales
say that / lost eight pounds from INV
maximum weight of the spring of 1915.
Here in Switzerland where food is still
comparatively plentiful and cheap. to
say nothing Of being richer and more
nourishing. ] am eating easily twice
what ! consumed IN Berlin without
being much less hungry than 1 was
there. Psychology and supply doubt
OF course. the experts have agreed
that mathematically the Galleries. con
tanned in the daily per capita rations
of food in Germany are sufficient TO
dividuaIs who are healthy, whose sys-
TENS can make full use OF each '.cal-
81 ory the food card calls for. That il
probably the reason that the food
shortage has made no appreciable diff
ference in Germany's fighting strength
Fears for the Winter.
But It is different in the home That
is where the hardship of the food
scarcity has scored its tragic record
It is record that will become far more
. terrible this winter. For il the war
goes on, the winter will be more cruel
than any previous winter in the worlds
history. not only for Germany and her
allies and her enemies. but for the neu-
trail countries of Europe as we'll
VIII that terror end the war? I dc
not know. Other nations besides Ger
many will be called upon to answer
that question when the rigors of cold
are added to the pangs of hunger. and
other nations may not find themselves
30 well equipped as Germany for the
light against freezing and starvation
plies to make such fight
Food Until the End.
As to actual food statistics in Ger.
many. there are none published tina,
are worth the price of the cablegram
The German food authorities declare
that the crop prospects are gooC
enough to carry Germany through Il
the end. From what have seen of hel
harvests. and the reports that hav.
been made to me by men in who's,
:. Judgment and veracity | have ever,
confidence. I am inclined Ito believ.
their statements. But IL they were not
they probably would not change theil
assurances The fact that they have
again increased Germany's bread ration
from 1000 70 1900 grams weekly pc
capita is an indication that their grail
statistics ought to be near the truth.
Much stiil depends upon the all-im
portant potato crop. Early potatoes
were scarce because the spring wa
backward and the weather bad, Blu
the later harvest. which is the decisiv,
one. Is said to be In fine shane and fa