New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-06
Starved Children Faint in
School and Sickness
Is Increasing
One Ham Costs $33.75
Chickens Sell for $24 Each;
U-Boat Activity Forced by
National Fear


describe the food situation there as ex-
ceptionally grave. They declare that
every day several people die Of starva-
tion and that only the very rich get
enough TO eat. A chicken costs 100
marks $50.
Arrivals from Cologne confirm the
reports Of the terrible situation Of the
people there. A resident, writing to a
friend in Switzerland. says: I'VE have
nothing more TO eat; we lack every
thing. When a week passes without
our seeing our friends we no longer
recognize them, so thin have they be-
come"
Another traveller who has just ar
rived here from Germany says numbers
of children from four to seven years
of age are dying through lack OF proper
food
All parts Of Germany are confronted
by the same condition. The National
Suisse" states, on the authority of Ger
man civilians who have fed to Switzer-
land because they cannot get enough
10 eat at home. that the food situation
in Alsace-Lorraine and the Grand
Duchy of Baden is getting much worse.
Infantile Illness Grows
The authorities themselves admit the
gravity Of the situation in their procla.
nations and regulations. In the Grand
Duchy of Baden alone there is a short
age of $4,000 metric tons of potatoes
in sight before the next harvest, and
the lack Of fatty foods is being very
severely felt, especially in view Of the
abnormally cold weather. Among chill
dren and infants sickness Is on the in
crease.
Coal is getting very scarce.
The meat ration Is totally inadequate,
and "in face OF the increasing needs Of
the army" as the proclamations say,
there is no prospect al all OF any in
crease being possible.
In the "Matin," Paris, Senior Antonio
Patricio, Portuguese ex-Consul at
Bremen, who remained in Germany till
last month. describes the food situation
there as follows:
During the later months of my de
tention in Germany it was really diff
cult TO get food.
1T is becoming comparatively COM
mon for school children TO faint for
want of food, and the chronic inanitlon
is giving rise to many cases of tu0er-
culosis."
Another Portuguese Consul. Senior
Vasconcellos. coming from Hamburg,
tells in the Petit Parisien" the follow
ing of Germany's economic straits:
although have good reserve OF
vital energy. | was considerably used
I'D bv lack Of nourishment. / was re-
duced TO a skeleton by the meagreness
of the nation.
Poultry for Rich Only
The wealthy may still allow them
selves the luxury Of one goose. duck or
chicken. which are worth anything from
100 to l20 marks SPA 10 1921 each. A
pound Of lard costs ID marks $3.50.
box Of five sardines 4 marks (95 cents.
"The authorities also issue bone
tickets. A portion Of bone should make
three allowances of soup. but the bone,
after being used for soup. has to be re-
turned TO the authorities"
A striking description Of conditions
in Germany was given TO London
Daily News" representative by a man
who was working at Krupp's, IN Essen.
I'D to a month ago. AS Belgian civil
prisoner Francis van Wen was sent
eighteen months ago TO help in the
construction Of extensions at krupps
works. On January 20 ne contrived
10 escape and has rejolned his family,
who are among the refugees IN Leeds.
1--WE we're kept hard at work all day,
he said. "and had very little food.
We had no meat, only soup made from
beans or fish, The bread was made
from potatoes, carrots, beetroot ana
black -four
The people Of Essen complained that
the prisoners were better fed than they
were.
Food Riots In Essen
He had heard OF three food riots in
Essen. There was often trouble IN the
market place about the prices OF food.
In the camp they heard OF women gong
with their food tickets TO the shops at
7 a. m. waiting all day and having to
20 away a. p. m. without getting any
thing.
Van Wen witnessed the following IN
cident: A dog had picked up a dirty
niece Of bread in the street. and was
running away with 1t when woman HI,
ran after the dog, took the bread from
il, and ate IL.
Giving examples Of prices, he stated
that a ham cost s35.75, horsefesh was
si25 a pound, a pair OF brown leather
boots $40.
SO desperately driven were some OF
( the prisoners, Van Wen stated, that
they killed the rats in the camp ana
/ cooked them for supper.
From an American citizen who has
/ had unusually valuable and rare oppor-
tunities 10 study conditions in Germany
comes the following story, obtained oy
the Amsterdam correspondent Of "Ihe
Daily Chronicle:
There have been many stories or
rioting. and / can say from actual
/ knowledge that these have taken place
at Cologne and Kiel, where they were
specially violent, also at Dresden, Dus-
4 seldorf and Leipzig. What is not known
/ outside Germany, so far as learned
I is that the Kicl and Leipzig riots az
/ forded the first actual signs that the
notorious German discipline was not
stronger than human hearts, for ! can
state IL AZ truth that at both places
when the soldiers were ordered 70 hro
upon half-starving crowds they refused
20 do 30. Not single shot followed
the order 20 IRE. c.. g.
"Can you wonder that Germany -
/ 6esperate? IL was largely popular ieei-
+ ing-fed and urged on by extremist
propaganda and all sorts OF under-
ground influences, including anonymous
letters and mysterious pamphlets, az,
declaring that the unrestricted use VI
submarines would soon bring tne "af
"a an end and bring fresh supplies OF
tood-tbat caused the government, hes
itatingly and against its own lux
.eart ~ issue 10 the world the notorious
r,,biess submarine war proclamation
- January 81. Throughout all the