Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-02
WITNESS TO Hul
BUTCHERY SPEAKS
Mrs. Basil Clarke, Resident q r..
sels, Says Sammies Must Be We,I
Fed To Win Conflict.

With the cries of stricken Bel,;..
still ringing in her ears and her mi,s
filled with the horrors Of German hr..
tality such as the world never befa,.
knew. Mrs. Basil Clarke. resideat :, +
Brussels at the time of the Prussi..
invasion, told remarkably thrillin.
narrative at the food conference hi.
last evening at the Moline Comme,.
cial club.
The gathering was arranged for The
purpose of bringing an answer to this
one all important query, do the nj.
diers in the trenches or do the stav.
at-hOmes eat?" 1t was held under Ans
Of the Rock Island counfv
branch of the National Security leaere
and the Moline food commission an
was addressed by experts sent out by
the United States food administrator.
When the Huns took possession az
Belgium, Mrs. Clarke's home was usAd
as a hospital for Belgian soldier
while she devoted her time to relief
work. That Mrs. Clarke is doing her
bit is evident from the fact that she
has one son in the army and another
in training service while she is donat-
ing her services in lecturing on the
food situation.
LAS stood watching those German
soldiers marching through the streets
of Brussels" said Mrs. Clarke, Il
knew that passing before me was the
greatest army in the world-eyerv
man a born soldier. l watched for
five hours and marveled that any ma
tion could produce so many splendid
looking men. There was nothing war
like about this wonderful army.
Il know why the German soldiers
look so strong and sleek and carry
themselves so we'll 1t is because
they have loyal civilian army behind
them. The people at home are on
diet; they are stinting that the SOL
diers who are giving their life blood
may be kept in shape to kill They
may be starving in GERMANY very
much doubt it-but the army isn't.
I'VE can do no less than the people
of Germany. Let's organize ourselves
into a second army, the greater sec
Ond army, one that will outshine that
of Germany. Eliminate waste and
boarding of food. This is not civi-
liked warfare-it's devils work, and
the burden is on America to stop It."
The Real Crisis.
ssnro 0f thu bsr~1ek 60 o%o-c - -.
haps the deciding one in this war,
is the question of food" said Dr..
Henry Coe Culbertson, one of the 9TH
er speakers.
In times of peace Germany pro-
duces four-fifths of her own food sup
plies. while England produces only
one-fifth. France one-half. Belgium
one-tenth and Italy two-thirds Of the
amount necessary for their people. The
seas are s0wn with German subma-
rines and it is easier for Germany to
starve our allies and our own SOL
diers at the front than it is for US to
starve Germany. Germany may be
hungry. but she will not starve. On
der normal conditions, before the
war, our allies were compelled to ifn-
port an average of 40 per cent of their
food supply. Since the war COM
menced their production of food has
very greatly decreased. The farms Of
France are producing on the average
barely half as much today as they
were producing in the year 1918.
"One reason for the decreased pro.
duction since the beginning Of the
war has been the conditions Of eli
mate, for the year 1916 was one Of
the poorest years so far as weather
was concerned, in the agricultural his
troy of the world. Another reason 10
the withdrawal Of experienced men
from the farms in order that they
might go into the trenches, leaving
cultivation Of the soil to inexperienced
women and children and feeble, aged
men. Another reason is the lack OF
proper farm machinery"
Here's the Problem.
Referring to the need of food con-
servation. DR.. Culbertson said:
"Now this is simple problem IN
mathematics: There is only certain
amount Of wheat and meat and sugar
and coal in the world. If the needs
of Europe are to be met they must be
met by the United States and Canada.
If you eat wheat and meat and sugar
as you are accustomed to eating them.
and II we waste coal as we have been
accustomed to wasting it. then our
allies will have to go without. we
can eat other things, corn and vege-
tables and fish and other kinds OF
food. The people of Europe can mol
eat these other thinks. They must 60
hungry unless we eat less wheat. meat
and sugar In order very greatly 70
increase our export OF those foods
abroad.
This idea Of the food administers
tion has been called an advantage u
democracy The kaiser by the iron
hand of despotism can compel the
people Of his empire to eat according
to his bidding. In our country we are
appealing to the patriotism OF ne
people to do this voluntary sacriNclsi
service. Have We public spirit enouen
to make this possible? Are We worthy
Of democracy? II we are not able 70
do voluntarily out Of love for on!
country and love for humanity. wnn
the kaiser's subjects are compeiisa
to do bylaw. then the kaisers eos.
eminent Is the better government az
will survive. while ours must perish.
The third speaker OF the evening Va
John u Tord who uSad motion DC