Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1918-06-13
F0LLYTOS send MEN
ABROAD # ALLIES
ARE NOT SUPPLIED
MORALE OF CIVILIAN POPUlA.
TON MUST Be MAINTAINED
IF WAR IS TO BE WON.
EUROPE NOW SHORT Of FOOD
Dairy Industry Has Been Hardest H't
Of Any In Countries Over.
run by Huns.

1t Ia worse than folly to put 5000
| 900 81 II soldiers in France II the
civilian populations Of the Allies are
not alao to be maintained In strength
ard morale with our food. Herbert
Hoover said recently In q communica'
ton to F. B. Mumford. Federal Food
Administrator for Missouri. All
Europe is now short OF food, he added.
In telling Of conditions IN the war
stricken countries overrun by Ger
many.
III you could stand in the middle OF
Germany today and survey the land TO
the borders of Europe you would dis
cover its whole population Of 400 mil
lion human beings short Of food said
Mr.. Hoover. where Germany has
overrun the borders, millions Of people
in Poland, Finland, Serbia, Armenia
and Russia are actually dying OF star,
walton and other millions are suffer
ing from undcr-nutritinn. Still others
of these millions outside the German
lines--that Is, the Allies and neutrals
are living on the barest margins
| that will support life and strength.
This, the most appalling and dread
full thing that has come to humanity
since the dawn Of civilization, Is to mo
| the outstanding creation Of German
militarism, yet the Germans them
selves are not the worst sufferers.
They are extorting at the lannon's
mouth the harvests and cattle of the
people they have overrun. leaving
them In %desolation.
Il am convinced that II the war
were to cease tomorrow the toll OF ac-
tual dead from starvation and its at.
tendant diseases within the German
lines would double or treble the 5000
600 or 5000, 900 men who have been
actually killed by Germany and her
| allies in arms. The 10000, 900 people
in occupied Belgium and Northern
France would have died Of starvation
had it not been for the action os>the
nations at war with Germany IN the
maintenance for these people Of a pit
liable relief. But this Is only n part
| of the whole story Of misery. for the
| sinking of the worlds shipping is re-
v%erberating p@rivation. in some direc-
ton into every corner of the globe.
Dairy Industry Hardest hlt.
"Of all the food industries OF Europe,
there is none which has been stricken
by the wal as the dairy produce. The
human race through scores Of thou.
sands Of years has developed q total
dependency upon cattle for the rear
ing of its young. No greater catas-
trophe can happen to a people than
| the loss of its dairy herds, for the total
loss OF dairy produce means the ulti-
mate extinction Of a people.
"The German people supported their
herds by the import Of fccdstuffs from
their neighbors. This being cut off by
war, their produce in meat and milk
would have fallen to a low ehb indeed
had they not supported themselves to
a considerable degree by stealing the
cattle Of the populations they have
overrun. lave had Polish and Ser
bian cattle in German pastures point.
ed out to me with pride by German Of
ficers. ! witnessed for years the steal
ing Of Belgian and French cattle. In
Belgium alone the herds diminished
from 10000 to $1,000 In three
months OF German occupation.
Condemned MIX Sent Across.
"One of the first duties of the Relief
Commission was to undertake the i'm
port OF milk In order that these chill
dren might be saved. We found that
In the terror under which these people
lived the average period Of breast
feeding was fewer than four months.
We have, therefore, for nearly four
years been sending them American
condensed milk, not In single cans,
but by scores Of thousands OF tons.
There has been scarcely n child born
In the North Of France. and many IN
Belgium, whose continued life has not
been dependent during all this period
upon American condensed milk. Every
American would be thrilled could ne
but see the gratitude which French
mothers daily express over the pitt
able ration which enables their chill
dren to survive. This stealing Of neigh
boring cattle by Germany will now.
with Russia Mt her mercy, go on with
an accelerated pace. DO not let us
deceive ourselves that any shortage
Of her own cattle will bring the war to
FL end.
"AIl this ia an exhibit Of the char
acter OF forces from which we are
struggling to purge the world. To do
this. therefore. we must concern our
selves daily with the food situation in
the Allied countries. Our obligations
to them are not only as a matter OF
humanity but as a matter Of their
maintenance In our common Rtrlggle.
1t Is worse than folly to put 100000
Of our boys into Franco II the civilian
population Of the Allies arc not also
to be maintained in strength and mo-
rale with our food. We are also inter
ested In the neutral countries from the
point OF common humanity"