The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-02-14
HUNGER IN GERMANY
Potatoes and Bread Only Things That
Are Cheap.


Food conditions in Germany have
| changed greatly for the worse in the
past five months The correspondent
| Of the Associated Press, who has
been away from Germany since the
| first week in August, has just return.
ed from stay OF three weeks in Der.
| lin. He found that many staples of
| food had altogether disappeared from
the markets, others had grown 80
dear that they are beyond the reach
of any but the well to do, the daily al
lowance of potatoes had been reduced
to ten ounces, and that either short
age of -four or a disordered distribu-
ton of it among the bakers had re-
suited in long rows of buyers standing
for hours in front of the bakeries
Maximum prices of the foodstuffs
controlled by the government are still
very low for potatoes and bread, and
comparatively low for meats. Pota-
toes cost only 70 cents the standard
bushel of so pounds and bread little
less than 3 ~ cents q pound. But the
potato allowance is insufficient for
people who have little but bread and
out with turnips.
1t had been hoped TO allow one egg
per person each two weeks in greater
Berlin, but the last one-egg allowance
was made some five weeks ago and
another is not promised until Febru-
ary Since the end OF August there
has been no cheese on the market. 1t
is said that considerable quantities
are being imported from Holland but
II goes apparently to the front except
for small quantities allowed the rest
aurants and hotels.
Another serious reduction of avail
able foodstuffs has been the eXpro-
priation for control by the govern
ment of all canned vegetables. Per-
mission for dealers to sell further
part OF their stock is expected to be
granted soon, but the dealers are TO
be compelled 10 open each can before
selling IL so as to force the buyers 10
consume ii at once and not hoard It,
The weekly allowance OF meat of all
kinds in the greater Berlin municip-
alities runs from 5A to sA ounces.
The cheapest varities cost about 60
cents pound; the dearest 72 cents.
One OF the most serious depriva
tions continues to be the lack Of fats
and oils. The weekly allowance of
butter and margarine together is a
little less than three ounces per head.
Oil is so expensive that it is out of
the reach of the great majority The
Associated Press correspondent paid
s3l2 for about two-thirds of pint of
hazelnut oil to be used for frying.
Goose fat costs $3.50 per can of II 3-5
ounces. and is the only fat except
vegetable oils, that can be bought
without a cardA'r
This insuffeiehey, of fats In the
daily ration shows Itself IN an almost
continuous feeling olof shunger. The
correspondent experiencing tais him
self in the first daCs OF his visit, re-
hid on 1t. De- glf
Il feel hungry all the time.f' said
the person addressed a
Extending his investigations. the
sions from all sides. The bitterest
complaints come from soldiers at
home. When the writer last visited
the front. in July, the mems rations
were ample in every respect and
there is no reason to believe the same
is not true today. The soldier at
home thus notices the differences
more keenly than do those who have
had gradually to accustom themselves
to one deprivation after another
There is daily monotony about
40 1e ia, hn !
Breakfast generally consists of rolls.
marmaade (often made of pumpkin)
and decoction of roasted acbrns, rye
chicory and what not that goes By the
name of coffee. There Is no real cof-
fee left. Some tea at high prices is
still to be had, but the poorer people
drink a brew of linden blossoms, rasp-
berry leaves or leaves OF other shrubs
of trees. For the second breakfast"
there is dry bread.
Dinner generally consists of boiled
potatoes with salt, some kind OF boil
ed vegetables, and, on perhaps two
days of the week tiny piece of meat
Fish takes the place of meat on other
days, unless one can buy goose. at
$l,56 a pound (they cost 50 pound
just before Christmas), duck at (
S1.s4 pound, a turkey at Sl32 q
pound, or a hen at sos to S12O
pound Comparatively little game
comes on the markets, apparently go
ing to the hotels and restaurants.
Supper is the problem in the aver ,
age household. Generally there are
no potatoes left over from noon, and
if there are there is no fat in which
to fry them. The usual German sup
per before the war consisted of cold
meats. sausage. cheese, bread and but
ter and beer. There Is no meat, no
cheese, and no sausage, no butter on
four or five days of the week. no more
bottled beer and many saloon keepers {
refuse to sell beer to be drunk of the
premises The beer, moreover, is all
but undrinkable.
There remain then, only bread and
fish, fresh, smoked, dried or canned. {
And here the problem OF cost is add. ,
ed TO that Of monotony. The writer |
paid in Berlin $1.20 pound for ordin-
airy lake trout and 81 cents pound
for small fresh water bass. Dried
sailed fish costs SO cents a pound and
smoked ell $1.92 to S240 Smoked
goose breast costs SO to $3.50 a
pound and boiled shrimps are 70