The Cordova daily times., 1917-02-20
F00D SCARCITY IN GERMANY |S
 SERIOUS
(By Associated Press)

| A the German food situation toda, shows: Very little butter. with littl if any prospect that there will b, more in the immediate future. Al equally small amount of margarine or other substitutes for butter. A sup ply of meat that does not bid fair {, increase because there is SO little feet on which the cattle can be nourishet and fattened. A minimum amount O. sugar. since less than the usual sup ply of sugar beets was raised in 1916 and part of the supply has to go to ward making chemicals. An almos complete failure of the potota crop so that the bread ration Is to bs stretched" with barley instead of DO tato flour, to the consequent diminish ing of the beer production. An almos negligible supply of coffee and a yer, slender amount of tea.
 On the credit side of the ledger stand the vegetables that were raised In great quantities during the pas summer. and that with German thoughtfuiness and system have beer dried in great quantities, and will be available for the winter. Likewise there are great quantities of marma lade, or near-marmalade, which have been stored up as a substitute for but ter. The substitute Is very poor, bui better than nothing.
 The average German will insist that Roumania stands on the credit side of the ledger too. and that 1t is a big item. But 1t is extremely probable that the amount of food found in Rou mania is far smaller than had been anticipated. Turkey. Bulgaria, Hun gary and Austria, all also have a claim on whatever there may be- Though Germany Is running the military situ ation in Roumania. Germany is very far away. Her authorities have knowr for weeks that there is little to ex pect from Roumania, and have triet to break the evil news gently. Firs came the announcement that the siz, ct the ssppsies- cAstsr~d wAs uaknown then the word that whatever migh be found would not be used but kep as reserve.
 It is. of course, the big German cit les that are suffering, and that ar, going to suffer increasingly as thu war continues. Lack of transporta tion facilities is an increasingly i'm portant factor.
 Germany, which before the war hat somewhat more than ample freigh cars for it's own needs. now has tt make the same number of cars, ap proximately. do for all of the Ger man empire. nearly all of Belgium northern France. all of Poland and , big piece of Russia, in addition to Ser bia. Montenegro and the biggest hal of Roumania. Only a relatively smal number of cars captured in Belgium have been added to the German roll ing stock.
 As the war has gone on the cond tion of this rolling stock has deterioi ated steadily. and scarcely any Of has been replaced. A shortage of oil has not allowed the proper care c what cars there are: hot boxes O both passenger and freight cars ar everyday occurrences. The engine have now to draw such heavy load that they are going to pieces faste than they used to.
 Feed and fodder conditions for Ge man livestock improved somewhs through last years harvests. but onl somewhat The cattle are still thi and scraggy. The milch cattle giv less than ever and there is little mil that can be spared for cheese. Tn cattle. when slaughtered, give les meat than they used to. and SO hors meat has had to bs resorted to in degree that Is unprecedented.
 The available supply of swine ha never recovered from the origini German mistake of lsll and 1sl when millions of pigs were slaugl tered to save the food that they d. voured. only thereby reducing th supply uf- fiat -fst-to-s-AaHxefeHs-PeaR The Germans have never forgive themselves for that short-sightednes
 The same in . measure holds tru of sugar. There had been an owe supply in 1914. and solemn warning went out not to plant 30 much Ian to sugar beets. and more to grain. Tn peasantry followed the advice too Il orally. and Germany awoke to fin that she had hardly moro than enous sugar for purposes other than foo So the big cities are in part twin on saccharins now. and there is n, enough of that.
 The coffee stretching" process b gan last spring. and has continued I diligently that real coffee is an | most unattainabie rarity. and the . craze coffee" that is available is I poor ss to be undrinkable for tt persons used to real coffee. Subst fntaa anch aa cAic0Hy hAYha miYfurI