The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-05-12
FAMINE TO FORCE
DEFEAT IN EUROPE
Food Supply, Not Fighting, to Be
Deciding Factor in World
War.
BURDEN PUT ON BRITAIN
Must Provide for France and Italy
Neutrals Suffer From Strnaency-
Pestilence and Suffering In
Many Forms Will Follow.

London.-On the opening day Of the
current session of parliament Admiral
| Lord Charles Beresford made the calm
| observation that If the war should con
tinue another year Europe would stare
famine in the face. He did not con.
fine his word Of impressive warning
TO the Central Empire; he spoke OF
Europe, and included neutralS as well
as the belligerents of both sides.
One need not go far afield in these
days to find many thoughtful men seri-
ously contemplating that possibility.
Somebody once said that the world
lived about 70 hours from the brink
Of starvation. Europe is the smallest
and most intensively cultivated CONT
nent, producing more than half the
worlds wheat. It's aggregate Of live
stock supplies makes it far away the
greatest meat producing continent; yet
it Is unable to feed itself and for its
deficiencies draws upon the SURPRISES
Of the rest of the world.
Great Britain draws a larger proper
ton of its foodstuffs from abroad than
any great nation, yet because it has
wealth and shipping and universal bust
ness relationships its dependence upon
the rest of the world makes it the most
independent of European countries in
this matter of food supplies.
There will be no second Punic war"
Numbered Mr.. Bonar Law, chancellor
of the exchequer, from his place on the
government benches day or two after
Lord Beresford had urged his warning.
That phrase has passed into current
usage, like Mr.. Lloyd Georges great
speech warning the nation that it must
choose between great sacrifices and
great disasters 1t honestly held up to
England the picture Of possible nation
al ruin. Carthage, like Great Britain,
was maritime country dependent on
far away lands for necessaries. Across
the narrow seas q rival rose to dispute
its dominion of the sea, which meant
Its right to live. No one war or two
wars determined that issue. In the
end Carthage fell.
Question of Feeding.
When Mr.. Bonar Law said there
would be no second Punic war he was
telling his British public that England
must so completely establish her Sc
curity and hereafter hold it so firmly |
hat no further dispute should be pos
'ible. When we place that alongside |
he words of Lord Beresford 1t is pos
'ible to understand the vital character |
If the struggle whose climax is ap-
'roaching with the opening Of the
pring campaign Of 1917.
1t Is become, as almost everybody in
europe now begins to see, question
whether the economic resources Of the
CENTRAL Empires or the maritime power
# the allies can longest stand the
train. Can Germany and Austria feed
from within longer than the
ntente can feed itself from without?
The military decision is going to be
econdary to this economic determine
lon. If one side can feed itself longer
han the other can that side will win.
was looked upon at the end of the
'ar's first year as great struggle in
Military attritiOn. Today it is just as
'idely recognized to be a war of eco
omic attritiOn.
The essence of such struggle is the
roblem of feeding the warning ma
ons. OF them all England has in her
Ill the largest possibilities of increas- (
e agricultural production.
Mr.. Lloyd George declared in his
beech that 100000 or 100000 acres ;
available agricultural land remained {
1used. Beyond this great areas have I
zen utilized for pasturing. These are t
be brought under the pillow and {
ade far more productive if it be pos /
BILE to find labor and machinery to do
If England had on the economic f
de prepared for this war as carefully t
I'd for as long q time as Germany
epared for it the war would never e
I'VE happened. t
Even Women Drafted. c
England would have been able to t
ed itself, and power within, with her n