Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-22
GERMANY |SEAT|NG
MORE THIS WINTER
Ration Increased Somewhat,
Due to Food Taken in Cap
tured Territory.
DYsENTERY IS SPREADING
ny HERBERT COREY.


Copyright. 1917. BY Herbert Corey.)
fThis u the fourth Of q series Of nina articles
b. Herbert Corey on conditions In Germany.
M nfth win appear tomorrow.)
BERN, Switzerland, October 2o-Be-
cause Of Q fairly abundant harvest
and the takings from the occupied
territories In Rumania, Poland and
Serbia the civilian ration in Germany
has increased somewhat this fall. The
bread cards now call for 1900 grams
per week. as again 1000, and potatoes
are likewise moro plentiful. The meat
ration has also been increased in most
and perhaps in all districts, for a
reason that will be discussed later.
/ think it Is very doubtful II the
ration has been increased sufficiently
to make up for the shrinkage of re-
serves.
For two years the German has been
underfed. During the first year of the
war the Teutonic table was well
certain products and others We're
carefully husbanded, but on the whole
the German ate quite as much as he
really needed. During the second year
Of the war he was underfed and dur
ing the third year the ration was still
further reduced. The consequence Is
that the reserves of fat upon the hu-
man body have practically disappeared
In Germany.
That Is q cold way Of saying that the
men and women Of Germany are lank
and haggard now.
Some Holding Out Of Food.
Not all Of them. it is true. The pro-
Queer of foodstuffs holds out" all that
he dares, and the rich man buys sur
afry hot he
Of the people are eating up or have
eaten up the reserves OF fat which have
been accumulated for years on their
bodies. In the case Of one man I know
cd no more than 100 pounds to begin
with, Is of an athletic habit, and dined
once or twice each week with well to
do friend who lived as in times of
hotel in Berlin. Another lost sixteen
pounds and still another seventeen.
although they likewise knew rich
friends and lived at good hotels.
It is very Questionable If the ration
has been sufficiently increased to
make up for this loss of fat in the
nation. Already tho weakness occa-
stoned by persistent undertaking Is
making itself felt in the death rate.
Men and women Of moro than forty
i've years of age and children under
six or seven years have slight chance
of regatning their strength when at
tackled by an Illness that at other
times would be considered of a minor
class. Deaths are being reported from
catarrhal colds" from rheumatism.
anemia and various stomachic and
digestive troubles. which are in reality
occasioned by the under nourishment
OF the past two years.
Epidemic Of Dysentery.
An epidemic of dysentery is sweep-
ing through Germany. This of two dis
tinct varieties, one the dysentery COM
monty known and the other closely
approximating in its symptoms the
cholera Of the east, although 1t IL not
cholera It Ia. however. 30 contagious
that the Swiss government IL serious
~ alarmed by the danger that 1t may
spread into Switzerland. In neither
form II It amenable to the usual treat
mont for dysentery and in the con-
frightfully large proportion of cases.
The people call this bread sickness"
and ascribe 1t entirely to the bad
quality of the war bread furnished by
the government This IL not disputed
by the physicians. who are quite will
ing to say in private, however. that the
epfdemics are due entirely to malnu-
triton. and can only be ended by
course Of full feeding.
IT the war continues another year
II Is possible that the losses among the
civilian population by dysentery of an
epidemic character may be equal to the
losses OF the army at the 'front.'" was
the statement OF physician who Is
described as a thorough-going conserv-
alive to German friend OF mine.
Churches Crowded With Funerals.
man-American-hei is German by birth.
but American by residence and predi-
lection-who Is vouched for by persons
Of standing as being absolutely relia-
BILE In all statements OF fact. that at
one time in Hamburg last summer flu
neral services in the churches were re-
stricted to ten minutes by military or
der. There were SO many at that time
that the churches were running to ca
pacity on funerals. and frequently the
streets in the vicinity of the churches
were filled with the corteges waiting
their turn He explicitly stated that
not one favorite church. or two. were
thus crowded. but every church in
town
1t must be remembered, Of course,
that Hamburg is also a hospital town,
and that certain number of deaths
daily may be counted against the mill
tary element AS a seafaring town,
too. 1t has suffered more than has the
ordinary city in Germany. and its civ
ilian population has doubtless been re-
duced in strength more than in the
cities of Bavaria or Saxony. It seems
true. however. that other cities have
suffered quite as much as Hamburg by
the dysentery epidemic.
Dead Buried Without Clothes.
A man holding a responsible official
position told me that in many cities
street after street had been closed Off
by the authorities to prevent the spread
of the conta gion and that whole towns
have been Guaranteed against the out
side world.
The most horrible true story 1 have
heard from Germany" said another
man Of standing. "is that of the new
burial regulations in a part of the
country.
These regulations-accordin to the
statement Of men who allege they
have seen them printed in papers
throughout Germany-forbid the use
Of wood or wool in the burial cere-
For All the Soldiers