The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-04-20

woman who wears overalls ut her
work. She hopes to join an aviation
corps for service In the war.
naval force without, would have made
her safe. Last years crops throughout
Europe We're almost universally bad.
Nature was in part responsible, but it
is now realized better than 1t was a
few months ago that the conditions Of
life during war are utterly disastrous
to the interests Of peace. The other
day Il Dutch farm hand who had been
working in Germany most of the time
since the wal began returned to his
home in Holland. He painted Il pic
ture of conditions in rural Germany.
He had been the one able bodied ma
on a farm of more than 200 acres. 1t
had been his york to get a maximum
of production out of the land in the
face Of the fact that he was the only
really competent unit of man power
there.
In former times several mel would
have worked on that farm, amply sup
piled with live stock for power, for
meat and milk supplies, for the pro-
duction Of fertilizers. But the last of
h men was taken away to the army,
some of the women to munition works.
The horses had been taken away to
the fighting forces and a long step had
been taken toward destruction of the
other live stock to provide meat.
Fertilizers We're almost utterly lack
ing. In anticipation of the crop sea-
son of 1917 he found that the stock OF
seed had been drawn upon to Il ruin
Gus extent because Germany like the
rest of Europe, is living SO largely up
on its capital.
Working long hours under the most
arduous conditions this mar had for
months been underfed although well
paid. lie simply could not stand the
strain and left his place. This is Il pic
ture of what may be seen and is daily
being reported all over Europe. Swift
Zerlanl, Holland, Greece. tell Of null
titudes In dire need Of food. The Sean
dinavian countries suffer less for food
but more for some other necessaries.
Neutrals Also Suffer.
Yet it is no safe to presume that In
the outside world the wheat fields and
the stock resources of Canada and In
Ola and Egypt, the Argentine and Aus
tralia, Il be looked upon this year
to make up Europe's deficiencies. Neu-
trails are suffering through the same
causes, even If not SO acutely, that are
diminishing the productive power of
Europe. Labor is scarce, machinery
and credit are almost impossible to Sc
cure. Manufactured articles which rep
resent the least of Europe's troubles
thus far are not to be had by reason
of boil the industrial an9 financial
breakdown.
The outside world cannot produce
food for blockaded Germany and Aus
tria. The naval power of the allies
will not permit it to feed them. Wheth-
err 1T will be able to send it's surplus to
the entente nations must depend on the
capacity of an overWorked and under
tonned merchant marine. There is
more acute need for shipping than ever
before in modern times, while the SUD
ply OF 1t Is being diminished day by
day. The world is no longer on a nor
NAL basis. Credit and money. even
gold money. mean little. The tonnage
unit of shipping capacity Is the stand
ard by which the capacities of nations
70 live and support themselves must
be gagged.
by all accounts there is no real hun
ger in England as yet, but Mr.. LLOYD
George has informed the nation that
Us food supplies are lower than ever
before; he has required Il drastic limi-
[ation of imports other than sheer me-
OF life SO that there may be
'argo space To bring these necessaries.
has not only to supply its own
requirements from abroad but largely
% provide the shipping that shall bring
GOD to France and to Italy. It must
IND means to carry troops and sup
,lies to the near East and accessories
u wal to Russia.
Wastaoe Also a Factor.
This rough outline explains how the
var ~ coming to he looked upon as one
more likely to be determined ~ geo.
homie than military n,trition. Economic
~ = 4 - Nve 49,. q