The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-02-01
Whole World VIII Starve
If War Lasts Two Years.

Norfolk, Va, Jan. 26.-That the
civilized world will be reduced to
the verge of starvation IL the Euro
pean war continues two more years,
is the opinion of European food ex-
perts, DR.. Maurice Francis Egan,
United States minister to Denmark
and dean of the American diplomatic
corps, declared here tonight. DR..
Egan, who has just returned from
his post in Copenhagen and came to
Norfolk to attend the wedding of
his niece, Miss Anna McCarrick de-
clares the people of Denmark are
now living in practical slavery and
that the same is true of the other
small European nations
Shut off from America and Great
Britain by embargoes, under the
shadow OF Germany's land and sea
menaces, and with a rigorous win
ter gripping the continent, DR..
Egan declared the little nations are
Al uAO otAditb anu uSiptccos rOOu 10
so scarce that the famous Danish
wolf hounds are being slaughtered
for food.
DR.. Egan warns the United States
against German espionage, with its
far-reacEing tentacles, declaring
that his embassy had proofs of the
possession of minute maps of this
country, and especially of Virginia
waters.
only those who 1.-Two within the
shadow Of German oppression" said
DIR. Egan, "can realize the priceless
boon of liberty. Any one who knows
conditions in Denmark must feel the
desire to fight for the overthrow of
Prussianism. The hope of Europe
rests on America. The United States
must bear the brunt of the war for
the time being and must win the
victory, If the races are to be saved
from slavery and if the world is res
cued from the fate of impending
starvation
We publish the foregoing extract
as matter of general information,
but more particularly to arouse our
people to sense of the Importance
of saving food, in pursuance of the
orders recently issued by U. S. Food
Administrator Herbert Hoover, and
approved by President Wilson. The
schedule of meatless and wheatless
days, etc, ordered appear on another
page of the paper this week.
There are no grounds to hope for
peace for years to come. People
everywhere seem to be impressed
with this fact. Taking these prem
Uses as basis for the situation, we
cannot be too cautious nor too care
full in complying with the substance
and the letter of these orders. After
all, 1t is not so much a matter of
obedience to those people whom we
have clothed with this authority, but
an appeal to our own intelligence.
1t will be remembered that the
President and the food administra-
tion, summing up the situation few
weeks ago, assured the people that
with the observance of certain regu-
lations, embracing wheatless days
and the use of brown bread, we
could make it thru safely until an
other crop is made. Since then there
has been demand for additional
wheat exports of millions of bushels
to go to the entente allies, and the
probabilities are that the Govern
ment will concede for the benefit of
the fighting men that the demands
must be met. BY this, then, we
must understand. with all it's ad-
vantages to get in touch with the
facts, the Government itself is, to
certain extent, at loss to gauge
the supply and demand of wheat in
this critical period to any degree of
accuracy, or, for that matter, food
or fuel of any kind.
Then how important it is that we
heartily and freely comply with the
orders or wishes of the Government
in saving food and fuel. How much
more important it is that we fore
stall, If possible, the calamity of a
food famine-of actual starvation.
This is condition practically un-
known to the people of this country,
but it is not impossible. How ter
rible it has been in little Belgium
how awful 1t has been and how much
more the torture of the Armenians.
God give us the moral courage
and the wisdom to understand and
10 make these sacrifices.