The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-25

The outcome of the war and the well
fare of the world depend upon it
In Germany today no food is
fried It is all boiled or stewed.
Grease from the kitchen sink is treas
ured. Soap, the basis of which is edi-
BILE fat, has become a luxury OF mil
lionaires. Candles, another fat, have
disappeared. England and France also
lack fats, though in a less degree,
and unless the women of America
realize the extreme Importance of not
wasting and of not consuming one I'M
necessary bit of butter or other ami
NAL fat, We may be in the same pre-
dicament.
Problems Permanent.
Most persons are under the dam
gerous delusion that the mere ceasing
of firing the big guns would bring
food to the worlds table. That idea
must be baniShed. 1t is essential that
the nation realize the permanency of
our food problem. Peace, so FAR as
we are concerned, means that to the
demands of those who are now our al
lies would be added the demands of
those who are now our enemies. We
could not be indifferent to their hun
ger. So our diminished stores would
be depleted still more rapidly.
why then, if food exhaustion is so
universal, may we not rely upon
speedy collapse of Germany'S resist
ance? Before the war Germany ana
its allies were four-fifths self-support-
ing; England, one-fifth; France, one
half and Italy, two-thirds. Germany,
moreover, was a nation given to over
eating. The reduction of rations at
first was benefit rather than a detri-
ment to the German people. AL
though Germany in the last two years
has suffered severely its problem
from the beginning has been to in
crease its production only approx
mately rs per cent. In spite of bad
harvests Germany seems to have been
able, at least, to meet the emergency
and probably can do so indefinitely
Germany holds and is cultivating the
western fringe of Russia, most of
Belgium, large acreage in northern
France and the Rumanian plains along
the Lower Danube, probably the most
fertile soil in the world Besides
Germany began working out this war
food problem long before the war. She
has a tremendous and intricate food
organization and no one within her
borders dares waste crumb- 1t
would be folly for America to assume
anything less than Germany's power
to endure.
Allies Must Import Food.
1.-The position of our allies in west
ern Europe is essentially different
They must draw their food from the
outside. Russia and Rumania would
supply them, but they can not, handi-
capped by disorganiZed railways and
the Russian revolution. India and
Australia can send only a part of their
surplus because of the submarines
depredations and the shortage of
steamers. South America has a short
age and so the burden falls on Amer
lea and Canada.
THE moral is clear: We must re-
duce our consumption. Already our
allies have given their bravest and
best to the cause that now is our
cause. Their sacrifices must go on,
but we cannot let them starve. How
ever generous our giving this summer
and fall, there confronts France, Eng
land and Italy the blacklist and most
agonizing winter they ever have had
to endure. Such minor deprivations
as we may endure are trivial in COM
parison. Regulate ourselves we must,
if only to keep them in the trenches,
to avert high prices. discomfort and
general business and industrial de-
preston in America this winter and
next spring.
"Autocracy believes we will fail in
this duty toward our allies. It be-
lieves we are too selfshly individual
istic, as members of a democracy too
weak to accomplish it. Autocracy ad-
mits our fighting ability, but derides
our power of self-sacrifice or self
control"