The Washington herald., 1917-07-19
By KARL Won wIEGAND,
Stan Correspondent OF the l. N

y.
Copenhagen, June Is Cby maiD.-
Germany will soon be through the
severest of all the food crises that n
has experienced since the beginning
OF the war. At no time since August.
1914. has Germany had to draw the
belt tighter around its national waist
line" than in the period since ,Febru-
ary OF this year. Almost every week
since then, 1t was found necessary to
draw the belt another notch In
some particular article of food.
The German belt is still drawn
pretty tight around a once pampered
and rotund waist line. In my article
in January, described the food situa-
tion truthfully as severe but not of
such a nature as to influence the mill
tary situation.
When this reaches the United States,
Germany.s severest food crisis OF
three years will be nearing an end.
Owing TO the almost unprecedented
severity and length of the winter, 1t
was as yet impossible to form any
idea Of what Germany's crops will be
this summer when 1 left Berlin. II
was generally taken for granted that
in no event would the crops likely
be worse than they were last year.
which means that the German people
in all probability could stick 1t out"
still another winter of war.
Firm Hand on Bread.
With the coming OF June. the Ger
bans have been able to slip their
tightly-drawn belt a notch or two.
Vegetables and green things have
made that possible. But in the mat
ter OF bread, the government and mu-
nicipal authorities propose to keep a
very firm hand upon the string around
the top of the German flour sack"
The optimism that the end of the
war Is in sight, the popular convic-
ton that 1t will end with this year,
is not to relax the strong grip OF
that hand on the nations bread sub
stance. Even IL the war should end,
1t is realized that the people will
consume no less bread in peace than
in war and that there is little pros
pect Of increasing the bread supply
immediately upon the close of the
war. The government. therefore. has
prepared to take even more drastic
measures than last summer TO gather,
conserve and dole out this years
crops. To make this more effective
and to calk up every leak that might
mean a weakening of Germany's ma
tional stomach resistance it Is pro-
posed that much of the grains will
be confiscated in the fields. gathered
and threshed under direct government
control and supervision.
This will save to all the people many
a sack of grain that disappeared last
summer for the benefit of particular
individuals
Cut Bread Rations.
Severe as the food situation is, ]
old not find 1t quite as bad upon my
return to Germany in March, as |
expected to find 1t. Bread rations
were being cut down from 1900 grams
a week to 1900. Instead of the semi
grey" or regular "war gray" white
rolls for breakfast, there was now
but one bread throughout Germany
the so-called "cinheite bret" the in.
gradients and mixture OF which Is
prescribed by the government. 1t is
very dark almost "gun metal like" in
color, rather coarse and heavy. but
well baked and palatable. especially
when toasted. For the cutting down
Of two-fifths Of pound Of bread per
week. there was for the time being
an increased allowance Of one-halt
pound of meat, which made the week
ly meat allowance one pound instead
Of one-half pound. Heavy laborers
have an additional bread allowance.
The German pantry" today is con-
Quoted almost upon scientific ration
ing. The German hausfrau prides her
self on her 'foraging" ability. She
often has to consult her ration man.
ual' to see what she may buy, how
much and when. Almost everything
requires cards" now.
Although the rationing Is on a fair
ly uniform scale the cities do vary
according to the supplies availa Bile
which are not always what the cards
call for. To give an idea of the ra-
tions in addition to bread and meat
already mentioned. I will give the fol-
lowing so-called "zusattz" or "addi-
tionar' food cards for Charlotten-
burg. Three-fourths OF a pound of
sugar for the last two weeks in May.
One-fifth of a pound Of sage, between
the 11th and 18th of the month, "any
on hand" 250 grams or half pound Of
''kriegamus." This is a mixture of
beets and similar vegetables with a