The Washington herald., 1918-02-23
GERMANY USES
PEACE BAIT TO
QUIET PEOPLE
Hun Morale Maintained by
Insistent Promises, Loyalty
Hastens End of War.

Stockholm. Feb. 22.-Three big ques-
tions occupy the German mind at
present day-peace. political suffrage
and last, but not least, the food prob
lem. The enormous lack of food is
rapidly undermining the health of the
poorer classes, but the military sue
cesses in the east and south are an
important counterweight ir keeping
the morale from giving way to COM
plete collapse.
Peace interests above everything
else the German mind. The Emperor
refers now again to his peace offer
of December, 1916; the auncxationsts
declare they desire peace, Of course,
but an honorable one; the Liberals and
Socialists declare they are working
for peace and SO they are--but for a
German peace.
Post Bills.
Bills are posted all over the empire
and the newspapers never cease to re-
peat:
ITO obtain peace we must hSht."
and the propaganda motto for the
last war loan was:
Subscribe in order to get peace"
lie OI pCdGC
aims are somewhat different In the
war and the foreign office. The Ber-
lin strike last January Is almost
proved TO have been favored by the
foreign office in the hope Of getting
concessions from the Militarists at
Brest-Litoysk.
The German Socialists have been
used to the game of compromising
since long before the war. They may
be compared with the circus lion
which is induced to perform by the
promise of piece of meat Now they
stand solid with the Emperor on ac-
count of the promise of extended suf-
frage, for which they are invited now
and then by Count Hertling and Won
Payer to committee meetings.
The government has SO well domes-
ticated the newspapers that every
useful propaganda can be utilized to
the utmost. Peace with the Ukraine
thus has caused a general shout Of
| Joy, but sensible Germans declare the
| Ukraine can send no cereals IL Ger
many sends no trains.
There are not even enough engines
in Germany to transport the country's
own food from the producer to the
consumer.
The working population, especially
in the metal industries, complains Bit
! terly Of the ever decrea sing food sup
| ply. Potatoes were looked for as q
saviour, but even there the hopes were
spoiled and the harvest has not given
the results, only 100000 tons were
obtained.
Meagre Milk supply.
The animals are suffering for lack
of fodder and the stock Is awfully
decimated This is felt even in the
army. Forty horses are fed with
potatoes or kitchen waste from the
big towns.
In Berlin the supply of milk Is
now one-third of last years. Among
food substitutes, the production OF
albumized straw has reached 300.-
900 tons yearly and in 1917, 10000
tons of health -four was absorbed
| by the food market. This alimenta-
tion caused digestive trouble and
an epidemic of disease. mostly dys-
entery and night blindness. Well
to-do women very often become in
sane from worry how to illegally
obtain household food.
Germans travelling in neutral
countries never have been so quiet
and modest as now, but from every
one you speak to you will notice
the military successes and the
hopes of enormous economical
profits in the East are what keeps
/ THAR nnoraIe from collanse