The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-04-10

Of butter from an American who had
brought it in from Copenhagen. They
canned 1t and planned to make this but
ter last ono year. Until 1eW weeks
ego people with money could 60 70
bring back food with them, either with
or without permission. Some wealthy
citizens who import machinery ana
other things from outside neutra! coun.
triea have their agents smuggle food at
the same time
While the Dutch. Danish and Swiss
governments try TO stop smuggling.
thcro Is always some going through.
The rich have the money to bripe Dor
der officers and inspectors. When was
in Dusseldorf. last October; l met the
shipped coal and iron products from
the Rhine Valley to Denmark. He told
me his canal barges brought back food
from Copenhagen every trip and that
the border authorities we're not very
careful in making an investigation OF his
boats.
In Dusseldorf, too. as well as In CO.
loSne. business men spoke about the
food they got from Belgium. They dld
not get great quantities, OF course, put
the leakage was enough to enable them
to live better than those who had to de-
pend upon the food In Germany.
Card System Mado General
When the food supplies began to de-
crease the government instituted the
card system OF distribution Bread
cards had been very SUCCESSFUL, 30 the
authorities figured that meat, nutter. Pc.
tato and other cards would be equally
So But their calculations were wrong.
When potato cards wero issued each
person was given nine pounds week.
But the potato harvest was Dig lall-
urc. The supply was so much less than
tile estimates that seed potatoes had TO
la n loo o.,
Even then tho supply was short ana
the quantity TO be,sold on potato CARDS
WAS cut to three pounds week Then
transportation difficulties arose. and po-
tatorS spoiled before they reached Ber-
lin Munich, Hamburg. Dresden, Leipsic
aud other large cities.
Tho same thing happened when the
government confiscated the fruit crop
last year.
The government monopoly which con.
trolls the purchase and distribution or
food is known as the central Einkaufge-
sellsclaft, tho ~. 7. G." Because this
company has made so many mistakes
and caused so much food to spoil there Is
universal dissatisfaction. Last summer
one day trainload Of plums was ship
ped from Werder. the fruit city near
Berlin. to the capital. Tho ~. E. c."
roniiscated the plums, nine freight car
loads. anu delayed the distribution so
long that the plums spoiled. So group
morning and painted on each car In big
letters:
This Is the kind Of jam the z e. G.
makes" ..
lam ut $3.50 q Pound
Ono day vas asked on the telephone
whc thcr wanted to buy 11-pound
lam asked 20 have II sent to my Of
iicn Immediately. When It came tho
price was $3.50 pound. sent the meat
hacl: and told the man I would not pa
"Thats ali right" he replied 'Dr.
Stein and Il dozen other people will pay
NE that price. I sent II to you because
wanted TO help you out"
DR. Ludwig Stein. one OF the editors
or tho "VoSsicho Zeitunx." paid the
price and ordered all he could get for
the same money.
When left Errlin the government
had issued an order prohibiting the
sale of all canned vegetables and fruit:
1t was explained that this food would
I've sold when tho present supplies al
other foods We're exhausted. There were
in Berlin many thousand cans. but no
ono can say how long such 1000 vii!
last
In IN article which Will follow this I
shall explain in more detail how tho
food Is houEh, and distributed. what
rTcrts The Rumaniau food had upon the
situation in Germany and Austria ana
what tfin prospects are II Germany
makes mn offensive against Russia to
got food. Smuggling. too. VIII be eH-
planned md such instances ~ Hcppe-.
Inns carrying food from irigillm TO Cor :.
many to avoid III" orders or the Am
"rican Relief Commission VIII hH cited.
IN this article want 10 show what he
people eat, what they hay" 70 pay for
il and bow the government organized
"SouD Kitchens"