The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-20

Miss Cicely R. Eastwood or Eng
 land. who is now making her home in
 Birmingham, receives letters from her
 mother and sister in England, which
 give intimate views of food and liv-
 ing conditions under the submarine
 blockade Now that there is so much
 talk in the United States of food
 conservation, the following extracts
 from recent letters to Miss Eastwood
 will prove of particular interest:
 Extracts from my mothers letters (drs. J. R. Eastwood).
 April 2s.-Im surprised to hear that food is so dear with you. Sure it is ter riblel You spend a e1 G4.SD, then won der what you have for it. Potatoes are not dear. The food controller has fixed the price, lbs. for pence Q4c), but there are none to be had.
 Onions are 41sd h. (9c). Bread Is very brown and is 51ad q10 for a 2-lb loaf, and may not be sold until it is 12 hours old.
 There are no fancy cakes to be made' and buns and scones have no sugar. All this is due to the 'sinkings." What blessing it would be if some great brain could devise a plan to circumvent these barbarous methods!
 May 6-Nowadays. when one goes out to tea, there Is quite variety of cakes not of wheat flour, but of wheat suo- stitutes-oatmeal scones. barley scones, rice and date cake, parkins, etc. You see, we have to keep well within our limit of 3 pounds of flour made articles
 Laxy fn Oy m hT2lnS for other things.
 May 10-The war is quite the most hopeless and amending affair in the world. It is going to be a narrow streak whether or not. We shall be able to last out until the harvests. Everyone Is not being as careful as is asked of them by the government. Consequently, ra- tioning is sure to come It would be so much fairer in every way if it were started at once because really patriotic people (of the better classes, princi- pally. I think are doing their level best not to waste a crumb of anything.
 Of course, there are hundreds and hun dreds of uninterned Huns in England eating and wasting food for all they re worth. For that reason alone every person ought to be rationed. Then the laboring classes are making much more money now than before the war, and you know how thriftless and wasteful some poor people are. I can't picture the types in Russell road vicinity Ia poor neighborhood in Rock Ferry) doing much in economizing. It all seems to go in drink, food and pictures (movies). Of5 course, there are exceptions, we know, and some poor people are finding it frghtfully hard work to bring up large families now, when even common necessaries are so dear.
 I suppose Roosevelt's army Is getting in readiness for crossing to France. He seems a grand man. The German subs. will be on a keen lookout for them. The crossing alone will need plenty of courage but Americans don't seem at all lacking in that respect. l expect we shall be hearing glorious accounts of their deathless deeds in the days to come. May 26-You ask about the food condi- tions here. Well, we've never felt any shortage, except of potatoes. I don believe there is plenty in the country, but we shall get through if there is no extravaganza and waste The worst Of 1t is some people will not go short and these are mostly the working classes, who, of course, are earning more money than ever they did. And their clothes Cereals are very dear; lentils, beans, peas, etc, as much as Il pence (22c) a pound used to be 2d 21ad 4c to 5c). Ham, 4d a pound (Sc) butter, shillings (4Sc) bacon, best, 1 shilling g pence (42c). All timed goods are dear. Meat aver