The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-10
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TION
Blu IRE AU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Director.
Washington. D. C.
THE ALLIED FOOD SUPPLY.
UI-ItaSy

has been a comparatively easy job in
England. and has been handled with
some small degree of success in
France. has been much greater
problem in Italy for a number of rea-
sons.
Italy has al several times reached
serious food crises since she entered
the war which have only been avoided
by the timely intervention of her al
lies. Never has reserve stock OF
foodstuffs been accumulated in Italy
at any one time sufficient to tide the
population OYER as long as month in
case all importations should for some
reason be shut off. The machinery of
food regulation in England has been
reduced to a fair basis of efficiency.
Some deb ee of success has been at
tanned therefor in France, due more
largely. however, to the cooperation
of the United States and England
rather than to the success of govern
ment attempts at conservation and in
creased production. Paris has seen
famine only two days away. But aid
has always come from the big brother
across the sea or the friendly neigh
Dor across the channel
Italy hcs not received the same de-
gree of cooperation from her allies.
Her wants have not been attended to
SO rapidly; her needs have not been
so poignantly felt by allied states
men. During the early days of the
war Italian journalists. misinformed,
quoted figures setting forth the guam
titles of vario us foodstuffs on hand in
Italy-figures which were far above
the quantity of supplies actually on
hand. Many weeks elapsed before
Italian Minister of Food Crespi sue
ceeded in convincing the English
wheat executive that the figures were
indeed wrong. That the misleading
figures had their basis in sinister and
1t Il
since been established as a concrete
fact. The fact that German prop
uganda has been injecting its insidious
poison surreptitiously into italian af-
fairs has been largely responsible for
many of the political crises that have
arisen in Italy since the outbreak OF
the war. In many cases the press has
been unwittingly used an instru-
ment just as it is today used by Ger
man agents in Spain, tjouth America
and the Scandinavian countries.
So food conditions in Italy are far
worse than the public has been per-
mitted to know. Drastic food control
has failed to relieve the stringency of
the situation. Prices have been fixed,
every man, woman and child in the
empire has been rationed, food and
iood products are directly controlled
by the government. Sugar is even
more ScSTCe imam III GsnSIdnu anu
France. The manufacture of sweets
has been prohibited. Cake is almost
a thing of the past Soda fountains
were long ago closed down. Using
sugar in cooking is d heinous offense,
punishable by a heavy fine. In Naples.
Rome and Genoa the bakers sell
substitute for cake which in reality is
bread with an admixture of rice flour.
Saccharine is used for sugar, but be-
ing a coal tar product is considered
unhealthy.
Eggs are usually served only to in
ralids and nursing mothers. Altho
there are only two meat1ess days. meat
fit to eat is scarcely obtainable on the
days when the eating of meat is per-
mitted. Veal is unknown. To kill
calves and sheep is to violate a gov
eminent edict.
Chickens are only for festal occa-
sions and are considered a great lux
ury. Public eating houses are per-
Matted to remain open only a few
stipulated hours each day. Sailed fish
is now in general use. Cereals are no
longer Obtainable.
The government order prohibiting
the feeding of corn to hogs practically
wiped out the hog-raising industry in
many provinces. The hogs were or
dered slaughtered by thousands, re-
sulting in an acute shortage of pork
and fats.
The alarming shortage of beef, but
ter. milk and cheese has been keenly
felt by the whole Italian nation. and
was really caused mainly by short i'm
ports which led to the slaughter of
one-fourth of Italy's herds
For cooking. olive oil is used almost
exclusively, and of this there is a great
scarcity and the price has risen by
in Italy today is a heavy, dark, war
bread, made of potatoes and mixed
flour. A much used tho unpopular
dish is black bread soaked in olive oil.
This general food shortage in Italy
has resulted in embargoes being placed
on food exports and has practically
ruined the erstwrile big importers
business in rice, macaroni. cheese ami
other milk products, fresh and dried
fruits, oils, chestnuts, vegetables. for
age and oil preserved fish.
Meals in ublic eating houses are
rigidly regulated. 1t is unlawful to
serve butter or cream, or to garnish
dishes with e. gs. No lunch, what
ever the price may be, can include
more than two dishes. Railway res
taurants may open only one hour be-
fore the departure of the first train
and remain open only one hour after
the departure of the last one.
Last Inter there was practically 40
coal for private consumption. Unless
the situation is remedied before the
advent of the next winter no fires will
be lighted in any hotel or private
home in Italy. Pine cones and old
newspapers burned in iron buckets
will be depended upon to furnish heat
unless heed is taken of Italys needs
ere another winter arrives. The army
was hard hit also by the shortage OF
| coal. Because of this shortage Italy
was compelled to stop the manufac-
ture of cannons. her artillery supply
coming from Great Britain.
Other manufacturers had no coal
supply at all. There are many OBJ
servers who believe that if the italian
factories last winter had had enough
coal t. keep running and to maintain
| their normal output, the spectacular
| italian victory of a few days ago could
| have been followed up by a victory
even greater. This was made both
| impossible and impracticable owing TO
| the shortage of heavy artillery. The