The Benson signal., 1918-01-12
Inadequate Supply of Heat Ex-
pected to Cause Much
Suffering.
HOW THE ENEMY STANDS
People Have Less to Eat This Winter
Than Last, Is Belief-TWo Fodder
DiscoVeries-Disaffec
in Austria.

tOng tlme Cnereafter. Ihere is not
country that does not now realize the
real danger of extreme food shortage.
But food shortage is not the only or
In most cases the, worst of the men
aces. The nations face and realize as
never before the exhaustion of all nec-
esSary supplies. Although food will be
scarce in all countries, whether bellig-
erent or neutral, it is doubtful whether
that will impose as much hardship on
people as the shortage of fuel writes
Judson G.. Williver in the New York
Sun.
In EurOpe'S climate food is fuel to
the body quite as much as it is nour-
lshment. Sharply restricted supplies
of food, and that of a doubtful quail
tty and poor variety, might be endured
If there were plenty of fuel. 1t is
when the supply of fuel, both outside
and inside, falls below the necessities
Of physical effort that people begin
to suffer.
Europe has neither carbon for its
food nor carbon for it's fireplaces, and
in some respects the northern neutrals
ents. Rations of important food nee
essaries have been reduced by some of
them even below the amounts allowed
In Germany. England is by far the
best supplied country in the matter of
food, and the authorities are making
desperate efforts to make the pOpuIa-
ton, realize that rationing will soon
be compulsory unless food consump-
ton is considerably reduced. The food
authorities have announced a policy
of accumulating sufficient reserve to
feed the country for three months,
even if no imports shall be received
during this time.
Question of Shipping.
In the case Of England it is entirely
question Of shipping. Big stocks of
food have been gathered in Australia,
New Zealand, Canada and elsewhere.
but there are no ships to bring them
here. England is probably better situ-
ated in the matter of coal supplies
| than any other country, but must di-
vide with it's allies, France and Italy,
and so far as possible some of the neu-
trails hope to be taken care Of from the
English mines
The German food situation is puz-
zling. Apparently the authorities are
not nearly so confident about it as they
would like the public to believe. The
years harvest turned out more sat-
isfactory than seemed probable dur
ing the period of droughts and hail
storms in midsummer, but on the 9TH
er hand reserves were heavily drawn
upon before the harvest of 1917 was
gathered Reserves, indeed, may fair
ly be said to have disappeared.
The carefully cultivated official un-
derstanding in Germany is that there
will be better food supply this win
ter than last. The specific statements
justifying this expectation are highly
unsatisfactory. The Munich Medical
union has declared that there will be
less food, except potatoes, this win
ter than last Throughout Germany
there is apparently pretty general
belief that this is true, and wide
spread demand is voiced for an in
crease in the allowance of potatoes.
In Germany, as in England, the i'm
mediate result of the harvest was a
great increase in the marketing of po-
tatoes with the consequence that in
many places there were not storage
facilities to take care of them. The
fear is expressed that not incOnsider
able portion of the potato yield will be
wasted, partly because of overconsump-
tiOn in the agricultural areas and part
oF cto 20 of1
ties. SO from many German authori-
ties comes the warning that despite a
big yield of tubers the coming winter
is likely to see conditions quite as bad
regarding them, and worse as to many
other things than last winter.
Omlnous Suggestion.
The ominous suggestion is made by
some of the German food authorities
that it will not do to be too free with
potatoes, because later it will be neces-
sary to mix more potato flour with ce-
real flour to stretch the supply. Also
as there was a short crop of fodder
throughout the country potatoes are
likely to be required to feed domestic
animals.
The fear of such an event has caused
widespread demand that more hogs be
slaughtered that they may not require
to be fed with potatoes that the peo-
pie will need. The number of hogs
in the country has been increasing this
year, and the fact gives concern be-
cause the pig is an active competitor
of a nunition worker or anybody else
In the matter of food requirements.
German authorities have determined
that beyond providing a moderate meat
ration the transmutation of vegetable
Into animal food is a dangerously
wasteful process. So there is an effort
to induce farmers and village dwell
ers to restrict the number of hogs
and cattle to the point where It will