Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-19
WITHIN THE IRON RING---lI.
III I'ItI;DlsitIC y. HASH

CIR IN. November 20. i9I6.-Tho
~ ~ tlr Var Su8te,ance Office
Is an nncNomplod story or thrift; IL
Is the atcr, Of tic conversion Of the
waste of Il milton into that nations
margin for existence. II Is !; BATH.
IN which grim General Hunger is be-
,hS cohbatcd trench Tor trench. OIL
better. crumb for crumb The ARM
under the command OF tho Held mar
Shal OF this office reaches all over III,
empire, and It's operations are never
matted. There are no moucnt, OF
ease: there is no let up in the ten
sion: but IS each month passes. there
Is Il sigh Of relief that the month has
gone. OF relief that fortitudc and uu
wenricd planning are still m,trhiny
tho foc
IN War Sustcnance Onicc has con-
irtl over all the food Of German
You may not successfully import :,
case If eggs o. frki OF butter or
guilty t" an acre OF potatoes hut that
thtS office stops in and claims its share
OF the produce for tho people bcfor,
YOU arc allowed to enjoy tho least
part Of tho fruits al your efforts If
YOU are IL wholesale OF retail dealer
IN foods you know tina; the War Sus.
tcIiancr Office has II detailed record
of every ounce OF supplies that YOU
NAY" received, together with exact ;c-
counts or your sales Your number %
customers. your loss by wastnrs AMI
y"ni profits. The Office fixes priccy
;'nd IL prcSCr:bcS tho amount" Of pro
dice YOU may buy. In short. II knows
tuii% as much about Your business as
you know Yourself. and. Voc bc to YOU
II YOU break any OF its regulations
Til" dealer. who adVertises full milk
I"t childrer and who sells q Skinned
milk. is cavalierly treated these days.
drum-hcad court-martial. At on, time
q few months ago lard. in consequence
OF severe shortage, WaS selling for
more per pound than butter. This SIT
uation led 10 the prosecution OF an un-
usual food case, in which a bntchcr
was heavily hnsd for selling. butter
~ lard Charging moro ihnu tho
maximum prices allowed. or selling
short measures. bring down Instant
fines upon the offenders heads. and not
many IA Sr9nt violations arc allowed
before tho Offer G"r's shop ia closed
FOR good aui all.
Farmer "nn't Conceal Harvest.
The total amounts OF the crop pro.
auctions OF each farm are known by
III" food Office 3 soon as the farmer
knows them. and the farmer does not
find it wise TO conceal part Of his
harvest. He is even likely TO set into
trouble for merely returning faulty
estimate Of his crops carly IN tho sea-
Ills Grain and potatoes aud 1.-Two
stock are sold at fixed price,. lie docs
not need 10 worry about price ructua-
lions or the duties ~ marketing. all
shat lie is expected to do Is 10 raise
- much as possible upon tho limited
area 81 his farm and place ali bu, Il
necessary minimum to the order OF tho
food office.
Tho War Sustcmanco Once Mas the
go, IN. az
II was created 1t a time when tho
heart OF Germany Was frozen by the
dread OF national starvation. In those
days babies died for want Of milk. The
'r'irm weakened day by day on dict
10" rugged for spcu, health 10 bear
Nmd tho poor ploddcd through their
heavy tasks doRgedly week after week.
miserable voicci.ss, dullcd BY the
heart breaking monotony and insult
iicicucy or their food In those days
las, winter and in carly spring. tho old
prayer Give us this la! our daily
bread" WAS offered IN such an earnest.
humble. fervid pleading as seldom in
AL the centuries Of our Christianity.
l. was In those dark days last spring
the the War Sustcnancc once WIS
born. ~ was no, known outside OF
icrnian% AT tina, TINE that the proceed
ing harvest had been the poorest har-
vest III twent! Ave years. The gov
eminent had announced that the har-
vest had been satisfactory tina, fcar
might not paralyze tue people y fe,v
statistics Gan best explain the true
state OF affairs.
Bntorki Met STAGGERING Problem.
The German harvest OF whoa; and
rye in 1871: ,otaied 100000 metric
tons. In 1919 100000 metric tons OF
these foodstuns were Sarnered in.
Willie IN 1914 100000 metric tons
we're harvested. The Germans con-
sUmed. besides the whole of these har-
vests. an annual import Of more than L.
100000 metric tons OF grain In lsli.with
the avenues ot Importation closed only
i3,00s,2S3 metric tons OF rye and whsa.
were produced. DO not these figures
make clear the terrible winter and
spring Of 1916 and the staggering prob
lem that BatoCk:. with the newly
formed War Sustenancc Once was
called upon 10 eight: IN the midst of
titanic war. with most OF the pro-
ducers upon thc firing line. with all tho
lanes Of import closed. Germany had
"a suhSiSt as best il might on barc
three-uuartcrs OF its necessary supply.
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