Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-02-09
Many Who Were Well to Do
Before War Now Face Con-
dition Verging on Want;
Even Wealthy Suffer,
SOLDIERS WHEN HOME
GET SHORT RATI0NS
Subject Most Talked and
Thought About in Germany
Is Food; Undernourishment
Greatly Retards Productivity
BY J. c. SEGRuE.


I pItAhti ct Dht1
News at Bcrnc, Swit1criandl
(By the International News Bureau,
Inc.)
| am able to send you the fellow
ing trustworthy account of Germany
at the beginning of 1918, owe 1t to
a distinguished Dutchman who has
Just passed through here on his way
to a Swiss health resort. HIS impress
sions were formed in Germany dur
ing the latter part Of last month in
the course of an important mission.
Owing to the nature of this mission
and the credentials he presented. my
informant, who speaks German per-
fectly. was treated with great con-
slderation by the authorities, and on
one occasion was entertained 10
luncheon by representatives OF the
German government
Let me first tell the whole truth
about the German food situation as
| saw it," he said. "Only the very
rich can staye off the pangs of hun
ger. l called on two lady friends who
live in flourishing Rhenish town.
One of them, an invalid, is unable to
obtain the amount or milk prescribed
by her doctor The other IN supposed
to be in good health, yet she assured
me she had recently lost about three
! stone in weight. The principal ambi-
ton of these two cultured ladies was
TO procure some condensed milk.
Losing Weight.
The train-to mention another in
cldent bearing upon this topic-tn
which | travelled to Munich stopped
Just outside tunnel. A fellow-pas-
senger popped his head out of the
window and asked guard the reason
Tor the stoppage. Short of food
even the locomotive is losing It's
strength replied the guard, amid
general laughter. l had taken some
small cakes with me for my Journey
from Holland. A lady and her four
children entered the compartment
shortly after | had crossed the from
tier, and, moved by their miserable
appearance, l distributed these cakes
among them. The lady's eyes filled
with tears as she watched the child
rem eat them. Why she exclaimed.
IN astonished tones, there is some
butter in these cakes! She told me
she was an officers wife formerly
used to comfort, but now compelled
10 llVe IN condition verging OIL want.
a laxative man | met at a hotel
told me he had accumulated a great
STOCK OF food at his house In Berlin.
ana that his hobby was to entertain
hungry friends there for varying
periods. He said his practice was TO
"e'gh them at the beginning and end
OF their visit, and invariably found
the weight gained extremely sienifi-
cant. How much weight have va,
lost recently is a question YOU hear
asked on all sides. Soldiers told ma
they had lost as much as two s,onn
during brief period of leave at
home.
When | was entertained by a dis
tinsulshed German official Ia Iunch-
con- the conversation during thu
"hole or the meal turned on the food
question, not on the German Russian n
peace negotiations. Ny host seemed
W elihk the meal, SO amiably provid-
ed by the German government nv
tlemely appetizing, and the other of.
rcials present re-echoed his on;r;o,,
1t failed entirely to satisfy nv hm,
ec for dessert at this luncheon
eacn guest received slice of bread
"'ack coffee,' dreadful concoctiop
ohiy resembling coffee in the color
ehued the meal, The beer throughout
Germany is as bad as the coffee A.
nohh l drank the students beer and
iouhd II mad the taste of water.
Dog Flesh Is Used.
| conversation everywhere is about
1000, and the German who told me
that what is going through our head
is our stomach summed I'M exac,,,,
site situation. You see very few dogs
10 Germany for two different reasons
-there is no food to give dogs. and
she people have eaten the dogs for
ieod. The food shortage in Germanv
i use these words with care--baa
become tragedy was hungry dur
ing the whole of my visit. heard
''aI uysentery still RACES. and child
Ieh dIe from starvation in Berlin
saw with my own eyes the terribI,
effects 1t has upon the health and
stamina of the adult population Ors
curious point; heard that many cas-
es or hernia occur through loss of
| girth
The very rich and the peasants
apart, everyone is now hungry in
Germany. This condition of hunger
seriously affects the morals and tho
manners of the Germans. The post
office thefts, of which people talked