Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-29
WHAT EUROPE EATS
By Frederic j. HaSkin

wv ASHINGTON, D. c., Jan 25.-How COM
w pletey the belligerents of Europe are
separated from each other by the fighting
lines is shown by the eagerness with which French
scientists examined bits of food in Zeppelin
which fell French soil and was captured by
hunter. These bits of food were evidence as to
how the enemy living; they were analysed as
carefully though they had been fragments from
another planet
The French scientists found to their great sur
prise that the rye bread, which constituted the
basis of the ration used in the Zeppelin contained
about ten per cent of rice flour. How could Ger
many obtain rice? In only one way-from Java
by way of Holland. Here one important fact
deduced form the scraps of food in the fallen air
ship.
The rest of the ration was suggestive of Ger
many's poverty in foodstufs. 1t is well known
that aviators require diet rich in fats and sugars
so that they may Withstand the cold OF high att
tudes. These Zeppelin men we're provided Win
sandwiches. There were two kinds evidently IN
tended for officers and men respectively Inc
officers had the better bread, made with percent
age of rice -four, and their sandwiches were made
of very poor quality of cheese and of honey from
which the saccharOse-the most valuable 1000 ele-
ment-had been extracted.
These analyses were published in the reports OF
the French Academy of Agriculture, which are
regularly received by own department OF agrl-
culture and which throw much light upon condl-
tions IN France, and some upon conditions IN Ter
many. One of Them for example, contains an ac-
count of French exerience in the use of prisoners
of war as farm laborers, which is or speclal III
terest inasmuch as the advsabity of sending Ger
man prisoners over here in returning vessels LOT
the same purpose has been seriously consldereo.
The French agrculturalists not very en-
couraging The first drawback is that very few
of the prisoners have had any experience in farm
ing. Most of the good farmers have been kept at
home A second difficulty lies in the fact that the
prisoner is most unwilling to work. He can some
times be bribed to work by extra rations of food;
but generally he succeeds in making himself pretty
nearly useless. A good deal of trouble was caused
by attempts to apportion the men among farmers,
who were required to keep them In their homes
This practice resulted in so much imomraltty and
trouble that it was stopped. 1t Is interesting to
note that in the north of France along the German
border where the French and Germans are people
of about the racial type, the use of prisoners
as labor was something of success while attempts
to introduce the prisoners in the Latin South or
France we're failures. The people in some cases
rejected them with violence. The conclusion of
the French scientists is that prisoners of war may
he used with some success in cultivating large
areas under strict military supervision. Thus some
of our unused western lands perhaps offer the best
opportunity that is for the successful use or
this labor
1t appears that in both Germany and France
great attention is being given to the raising or
rabbits and the keeping of bees Iney nave also