Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-24
BELIEVES HUNGER
WILL FORCE PEACE
Herbert Corey Depicts Condi'
,tions, Present and Pros
pective, in Germany.
NOW EATING FOOD CAPITAL
BY HERBERT COREY.
Copyright. 1917


This is the sixth OF series of letters by
Ii,rberr Corey on conditions In Germany ihe
seventh viii appear tomorrow
BASEL switzerland, October 81
Gerrany's daily food has been in
creased in quantity and bettered in
quality for the time being. and it is
through the year. result of the
satisfactory harvests of 1917.
From the information l have heen
able to obtain here I am forced to the
conclusion that this statement is some
what misleading. 1 believe that not
only has Germany reached her maxi
mum OF food production in 1917. but
that she will never again reach that
point during the war. Further. l be-
Iieye that Germany Is now eating up
her food capital
The inevitable conclusion is that
Germany IS counting upon peace oe-
fore the winter Of 13iS-l2 comes
The 1917 harvest, or more properly
Ire food product available to the CEN
trail powers during that year, may be
considered as divided into three parts
now that a proper control OF the neu-
trails has prevented Switzerland and
the North sea countries from pro-
visioning Germany from their surplus.
These are:
Tho harvest Of Germany proper.
The harvest Of the powers affiliated
Tho harvest Of the occupied terri
tories.
Near self-Supporting Basis.
Contrary to a very generally held
opinion. I believe that Germany came
nearer to a seif-supporting basis this
year than ever before in her history.
~ NIX Da har m
lower figure. but it is likely that
her-aetual production reached higher
numbers than ever before.
Every inch OF ground available was
cropped in Germany last year. Lawns.
parks, the strips of grass ground along
railroad tracks. the hospital properties.
were all cropped. Visitors to Berlin
will remember the tiny plots alongside
the railroad on the way to the golf
links. each provided with its combina-
Jion summer-and-tool house, on which
g. the Berlin workman used to spend
pleasant Sundays in the summertime.
drinking beer and cultivating his flow
er and kitchen gardens. These have all
been put in potatoes and other useful
crops now They may serve as a sam
ple of the empires food producing ac-
tirities.
1t may be assumed that this hither-
TO untitled ground produced it's maxi
mum of crop last year, just as it may
be assumed that the maximum acreage
most part the German ground is not
naturally r-ch- and it requires fertil-
tzers and plenty of labor. Fertilizers
and labor are alike lacking, but the
for generations would certainly be
good for at least one excellent crop.
The best has been used in this way for
two years, and all for at least one year
crop can approach that of the year just
past. However. it may be assumed
that the added acreage more than
made up for the decreased fertility OF
me land regularly under cultivation
and which for three years has been
Starved.
Drought in Two Sections.
As for the regular crop of Germany,
there was a drought this spring in
northeastern Germany and Polish Prus-
s.a which was followed by a dry spell
this fall The Germans were very pes
simistic in May and June, but better
weather later on resulted IN a good
crop through the south The east was
not UP to normal. The low point on
food was in June, when bounties were
offered for the first green vegetables,
and farmers were punished for pulling
potatoes before they were fit How
ever. the green vegetable season. fol-
lowed by the green fruit season. re-
ieved the worst Of the shortage until
harvest time.
The reason for saying that GERMANY
is eating her food capital is that the
meat ration has been increased
throughout the empire.
Throughout the war Germany has
tried to save her herds, for her leaders
have realized that if they were Gu,
too low IT would not only be tremen-
dously expensive. but practically an
impossible undertaking to attempt To
rep!enish the hoofed stock from neigh
boring countries after the war re-
duction in the hoofed stock has beer
forced. however. by shortage in the
fodder crop, due to the subnormai sea
son, and by the impossibility of secur.
ing oil cake from neutrals on which te
feed the cattle
Furthermore, in order to feed the
people as they must be fed after two
years of bitter privation il was neces.
sary to- cut short the rations to the
cattle.
More Meat and Meal IN Prospect
For the year 1918 it may be assume,
that the Germans will have more food
both of meat and meal, than in eithe1
OF the two years Just past This is di