Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-02-01
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY /, l9Is.
Is THE WORLD PACING STARyA
TI0N2

DR. Maurice Francis Egan, United
states Minister to Denmark, was
quoted several days ago by the Asso-
ciated Press as saying:
European food experts are agree
that the entire world will be brought
10 the verge of starvation if the Eu-
ropean war continues two years
more"
Some. no doubt many, will question
this statement and lightly pass it by
with but little, If any, thought But
there Is a seriousness attached TO il
that will surely attract the more
thoughtful and considerate those who
are trying at least to keep pace with
the times" and seasons" and the
true condition Of things as they ex
list today
Nearly four years have passed of
The Gercest war that history ever re-
corded, especially so far as methods
and Weapons of warfare are concern
I'd and many are now beginning to be-
ieye that it is more than an ordinary
war. as a result OF a quarrel among
the nations involved and that in some
wax and some how, II is a providential
visitation upon the nations
ihat there never were such times
aa these most people are agreed
The conditions in Europe are almost
inateribable and unbelievable. The
people are starving and freezing to
lie th over there as a result OF the
w9 4 England and France they are
eating horse flesh, and in Denmark
dog Or Egan also stated: only
those who live within the shadow OF
German oppression can realize the
priceless boon Of liberty. Food is so
scarce in Denmark that the famous
Danish wolfhounds are being slaught-
eFe3 Ton food"
THESE conditions are not confined
10 tbe portals of Europe and the land
described as mo Mans Land" but we
age now beginning to feel the effects
Of the war over here-the place which
has been for over century the "land
Of promise" for the oppressed and
down-trodden peoples OF the world.
Since our nation entered the war, the
great preparations going on here to
equip an army of more than a mil
lion men. have diverted the supply for
the regular consumption and caused a
shortage in almost everything, we
have felt the stress of the conditions
20 such an extent as TO cause great
alarm.
During the severest winter weather
our land has ever experienced. some
say, our cities face coal famine
For sometime coal has not been OBJ.
tainable, regardless of the price. We
can hardly get the necessary fire to
keep the paper warm enough to print
these lines. and TO warm our men. be-
cause of the inability to purchase coal
1t is said that in the worlds
metropolis. even the wealthy have
found their money OF no avail. Many
such have driven their expensive
hmousines TO the coal-distributing
points and begged the deliveries to
load their fine cars with coal. that
they might have some comfort in
their homes; but they fail TO get
it," The public press announced that
100000 families in Greater New York
were without fire to warm by for sew
eral days. And we understand there
has been considerable suffering in our
own little city for the lack of sufici-
ent coal
Or. Bromley in the New York Times.
stated recently:
There is plenty of coal in the |
ground, yet most of Europe is dark
and cold. Both Americas are much
alarmed over the situation as it con-
fronts them. The present fuel crisis
is here because we did not realize
soon enough how vital a factor fuel
is, when whole nations and not armies
alone must become war weapons.
The cry that Their is no coal short
age is 2 dangerous deception. True.
5oeo9S175 tons in 1916 as against
53t6l9,4S7 tens in 1916 was the pro-
duetion But these figures are mis-
leading. If one forgets that the worlds
consumption of coal is greater than
ever before"
Now these are some of the reasons
that suggest. at least, if the war does
continue two years more, and the con-
ditions continue TO grow worse, we
can hardly anticipate Just what will |
be the outcome of it all.
But there is another reason. if con-
sidered in connection with the above. /
that seems to be conclusive. if the
war does continue for two years
longer. the conditions will simply be
desperate. Twenty-Five hundred years
age. God, through His prophet. refer
ing, apparently. to the time in which
we are now. said: There shall not
be coal to warm at. nor fire to sit