Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1918-01-11
inadequate Supply Of Heat Ex-
peCted to Cause Much
Suffering.
HOW The ENEMY STANDS
People Have Less to Eat This Winter
Than Last, Is Bellef-Two Fodder
Observation-Disclosures
in Austria.

~ aAAhNiE tAE AAAo MAAAAEA uAu AuN u
long time thereafter. There is not a
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
lever before the exhaustion of all nee
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 MS it is our
lshment. Sharply restricted supplies
of food, and that Of a doubtful quail
lty and poor variety, might be endured
II 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
are even worse off than the belllger-
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 popula-
ton, realize that ratiOning will loon
be compulsory unless food consumpr
ton is considerably reduced. The food
authorities have announced II policy
of accommodating sufficient reserve to
feed the country for three months,
ever IL no imports shall be received
during this time.
Question of Shipping.
In the case of England 1t is entirely
a 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 stu
nted I'm the matter of coal supplies
than any other country, but must d.
vide with its 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
fufunfnrv tBpn goounnH p.nhnhIn Iarr-
ing. the period of droughts and hail
storms in midsummer, but on the 9TH
or 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 I'M
%derstanding In Germany is that there
viii be a better food supply this win
ter than last. The specific statements
j%ustifying 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 a 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 a not inconslder-
able portion of the potato yield will be
wasted, partly because of overcOnsump-
ton In the agricultural areas and part
ly from i~nadequacy of storage facill-
ties. SO from many German authOrl-
ties the warning that despite n
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 1t will be neces-
sary to mix more potato flour with ce-
real flour to stretch the supply. Also
as there vas 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 TIE 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 n dangerously
wnsteful process. So there Is an effort
to induce farmers and village dwell
ers TO restrict the number of hogs
and ccttle 10 the point where It Will