Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-22
GERMANY LONG
ON SHORTAGES
But She Is Facing the Future
Confident Of Her Ability to
Make Both Ends Meet

Eermany's amazing war vicor. after
nearly four years of desperate fighting,
mas been a source of endless wonder and
mystery to those not intimately in touch
with conditions in the Teutonic Empire
! The paradox of her fitness for battle. in
spite of persistent stories of starvation
conditions among the noncombatan
masses has sharply aCcentuated this
perpleNity. How this apparent miracle
has been accomplished through the ruth
less rcorganiza ton of every department
OF civilian life on war basis is an
alyHef and explained with scientific inn
partlality by Cyril Brown. one of the
oest equipped newspaper correspondents
at the front in Germany as 1t Is To-
daN.' book of startling information
I that VIII come as a sensation to many
VINO have long been confused by con-
Trajectory rumors.
IL may prove dishea rtenne to many
10 learn that Germanys food supply
economic organization. military power
ana munitions industry are today on a
souhder basis than earlier in the war.
But the author recognizes that only by
facing realities unf1inchingly can We be
prepared to meet them effectively. SO ~hc
wastes no time on futile invective. but
sets forth. with commendablc dctach.
incnt. precisely how the ambitious Hin
every individual and smallest material
resource in the empire into a cog. actual
or potential, in the powerful military
machine. In spite of constant rumors of
her desperate plight" Germany. he de-
clarcs, is now prepared for a defensive
war of endless duration" only ca
: iamitous crop failure or catastrophal
nllltarN defeat would he sufficient to
force the nation to accept peace. And TO
German minds these possibilities are un-
thinkable and unthought of
The bright side Of the shield for the
Allies. is the fact that this extraordinary
lighting efficiency has been obtained only
by gambling recklessly against the fu-
ture, seriously undermining necessary
production of materials, provoking peril
Gus price Initiation. depicting the man
power of every activity and organiZa-
ton but the army. and causing degen-
Grafton fraught with serious future con-
sequences, while race suicide has
mounted with significant rapidity. Ger
many is long on shortages" is the au-
thor's terse summary. In fact, there
Is a shortage of everything except
shortages"
The anomalous condition created by
the war program is best eXemplified by
the food situation. The pivotal point of
ally problems in Germany is food. Yet
! from The purely military viewpoint, this
is secondary TO transportation troubles
due TO rundown, overburdcred rail-
roads The army is well fed, while the
civilian population is severely rationed
But there is no food shortage approach
ing famine, and while underfeeding has
lowered the general working efficiency
Mr. Brown says it has also produced a
! higher average of health than ever be-
fore. With the better food supply peace
toll Stih ,rt
city would not make the Germans Sc
riousiy consider sacrificing even small
slice of AlsaceLorraine as the price of
peace. Everywhere food lines are party
lines. serving to entrench the forces of
moderation and liberalism against re-
action and Pan-Germanism. In spite of
governmental price regulation, there is
workers and agrarians are well fed
while the poorer town dwellers bear the
brunt OF the uneven shortage.
"Ersatz' has become one of the most
, frequent words in Germany today. Not
only in food. but in clothing and every
thing t6ISe substitution is the universal
rule. Aib0den shoes and paper clothing
are bAS'two war-born industries which
have grown to gigantic proportions
Some of these industries are controlled
directly by the Government In fact. the
new state socialism, swallowing up in
dvidual enterprise. is one of the most
significant war phenomena.
How Germany is equipped to provide
100000 fresh troops annually. how her
economic. industrial and financial sys-
TENS are even now being formida bly,
mobilized for a grim world battle after
the var, are thought-provoking features
of the authors discussion. 1t is a study
of the utmost significance contanin in
formation ot consequence to all. and
there is no taint of dldacticism to mar
its value.
GEI.NIANY As IT IL TODAY BY Cyril
brown New York: George II. Doran
Company. sl.S5.