The Washington herald., 1918-06-09

Of the mysterious Indies vher. IN.
rocks were OF gold.
The food supply Of the Ukraine n.ss
Decome one OF the capital facts OF
the war. If German and Ausfris,
creams are realizable, the Ckraju.
can prolonS the war indefinitely. b.,
II is now known here. and Of cour..
TO Informed enemy circles. thar The
Ukraine Is disappointment. like the
submarine. This knowledge is being
kept from the people. whose outburst
OF despair when they realize there "
no hope tor more food is feared by
the rulers OF both central empfres
Dr- Fritz Wertheimer. sent into the
Ukraine to study the prospects Of OBJ
tanning food. dispatched from Kief a,
April the following report OF what
he found there, which must have
nightly distressed the German and
Austrian food dictators when q
reached them:
Negatived by Conditions.
Il have returned from a two dsy,'
journey Of over I2O mile. through
agricultural and domain land IN the
kief government, during which 1 in
sTected sugar factories, country
towns. villages. and two OF the large
krainian estates. In general my tour
confirmed the impressions obtained at
hlet from innumerable conversations
with experts. The hopes Of the CEN
tral powers for > ouid pro quo in ex-
cnanSe for the military help given TO
the republic are to some extent mega
lived by the actual position of Affairs.
In silos and storehouses there are
al present no supplies TO get. Doubt
less the peasants have considers ble
quantities. but these are already much
reduced. and grow daily less, owing
to the regrettable practice OF feeding
the animals with the best seed, and
also owing 10 the secret still which
almost every household possesses.
There is more drunkenness in the
country than ever. Thousands Of tons
of grain are thus wasted.
Apart from the question Of inme-
diate deliveries. the prospects for the
autumn. and the coming harvest yeal.
are disquieting. True. the winter seed
was well sown by big land owners and
peasants. and has come well through
the winter. Winter crops were culti-
waited largely, and some IS per cent
of the cultivatable land was thus
used. The problem is what the har-
tempt to seize all landed property
led i'm January to peasants war.
in which irreparable damage Nas
done. Castles and mansions we're
pillsged or burned. farmhouses rohoed
and reduced to ashes. Machines have
been destroyed or damaged.
Much Destruction.
"Draught and breeding animals and
valuable oxen have been stolen and
TOR the most part slaughtered. ta'Huns
scattered. seed plantations for grain
and root crops destroyed. OF the
forty-five farmhouses on the Brantt-
zka estate only twelve remain, of the
eighty on Prince Radziwilrs estate
only t0n or twelve. On the latter
the total loss is reckoned at s1O.Ocv,o
1T is therefore questionable how
the harvess can be carried out. Par
ticulerly difficult will be spring culti-
walton, for which. under local climatic
conditions, only three weeks at most
are available.
There seem. despite the heavy
losses. to be plenty Of men about, but
they stand idle. The land is too vet.
they say; only recently has good
weather set in. and today work is
beginning everywhere. The peasants
estates are in good condition; the
peasant will DO doubt cultivate his
own original land. but IL is less GER
tain that he will cultivate the owner
less land Of the big estates. So tar
there have been discussions by rural
committees and meetings Of peasants
as TO how TO do this. Nothing has
been done.
1T is too soor to give any figures
as TO any surplus OF grain for export
this year. or even next. and Of course
In 1919 the fruits Of last autumn's win
ter cultivation on the estates will no
longer be available. Even though IL
may be supposed that the districts
shown us by the great land owners
suffered more than most. yet we shall
/ dc well not 10 set too great hopes on
the Ukraine for the near future