New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-09
Declares Reserves Of Potatoes
and Bread Are Gone in
Many Places
Intimates Germany
Faces Dire Distress
DR.. Michaelis Says Supplies
May Not Last Till
Next Harvest

London, March S.-The Prussian
Food Controller, DR.. George Michaelis,
made in the Prussian Diet yesterday
what the Cologne Gazette calls a
serious speech on the food situation,
says a Reuter- dispatch from Amstcr-
dam.
DR.. Michaels declared that the dis
tress was such that a more severe
state Of things. especially in the
large industrial centres, could hardly
be imagined. He indicated the possi-
bility that all surplus stocks of grain
would be exhausted and said that very
radical measures were needed TO en-
able the people to hold out until next
year.
I'VE have in the third year Of the
war" the Food Controller is quoted
as saying. discovered that among all
sections of the people the general feel
ing evidenced is not one of that en-
durance for which we had hoped. This
is human nature. but it is highly de
plorable and may have most serious
results.
Bread Reserves Exhausted
I'VE have not perceived IN the
towns that stern supervision which is
absolutely necessary in the dIstribu-
ton Of foodstuffs. There has been
widespread abuse Of bread tickets. en-
failing grave consequences as regards
our stocks Bread tickets have been
illegally used on such a shocking
scale that our entire reserves were
exhausted So when potatoes failed
and bread was ordered as sutsti-
tute. there was none available. Flour
has been similarly reduced, owing 20
similar Irregularities in the mills
Dr.. Michaelis concluded by urging
the utmost severity TO remedy the
shortcoming while there was yet time
Some Of the mills would have 10 be
closed and the municipalities deprive
Of their autonomous powers; rationing
and requisitoning must be strictly
applied with respect to eggs, milk
butter. fruit and vegetables. He
added:
1--WE are confronted with the
thought Of what would happen if this
measure also should fail and what
grim starvation there would be II
suddenly, during the closing months
Of the economic year. we should find
there was insufficiency. and we could
not hold out. The ensuing misery
would be indescribable.'
Socialist Blames Agrarians
The speech caused a sensation, and
the Socialist. Hufer. who followed, de-
clared according to the "Rheinisch
Westfalische Zeitung,' that the
Junkers were TO blame if a famine
supervened. An attempt was being
made. he said to shift the blame on
England.
"The selhshness Of the agrarians,
he said. "is the cause of the high
prices. The war would long since
have been ended if everybody had to
suffer hunger equally. The present
meat ration is insufficient. To with
hold such a necessary from the peo-
pie in the interest only OF agrarian
tariff is damnable | recall Professor
Abbes's retirement from the council
Of the war-feeding department; the
strikes OF muniton workers in Essen
and Berlin, owing TO undertaking,
have only too we'll justified him
The Minister OF Agriculture then
spoke. and vigorously defended him
self against attacks. He alluded TO
the critical situation created by the
partial success Of the Entente's plan
Of starving Germany. and added:
"For the small bread ration one can
only make the Almighty responsible,
Who has not given us the harvest We
expected
Mikado Proves He's a Poet;