The Ordway new era., 1918-06-21
Germany's Nor Allies Food Short
age ls Considered.
ZONES OF WAR PREPARATION
First Step 10 Actual Military MobIiixa-
ton; Second, Establishing War
Industries; Third, Increase
In Human Energy.
BY JAMES H. COLLINS.


a tTuNeler recently Out VI Nerliduy
told of an experience in German city
of 1900 population. This city had
left, for treatment of civilians. one
physician and one surgeon, all other
medical men having been drawn into
the army.
"How do you manage to attend all
the sIck?" asked the traveller of the
physician.
II simplify by paying no attention
to people over fifty-five years Of age"
was the doctors answer.
Which is to say, that Germans past
this age, being of no military use to
the state. and of probably the least
economic use, are automatically set
aside, and In sickness take their own
chances of recovery or death.
This story was told to DR.. Alonzo
Taylor of the United States food ad-
ministration and department Of agri-
culture. Doctor Taylor was attached
to the United States embassy at Ber-
lin during most of 1916. and under
Ambassador Gerard had neutral In
spections Of German prison camps In
charge. Herbert Hoover has said that
Doctor Taylor's scientific knowledge
of dietetics, and his practical grasp Of
war food problems, is wider thnn that
of any other person he knows, and be-
hind this technical knowledge is
thorough acquaintance with the Ger
man state and the German people, as
well as the food problem of the central
powers and the allied nations. Last
autumn Doctor Taylor was member
of the American commission sent
abroad to further our cooperation In
the war, and deal particularly with
the problem of food.
The point of the story above is the
different interpretations that may be
put upon 1t. Regarded simply as an
other interesting insight into the de-
privation which is now believed to
prevail in Germany, 1t would be taken
by the average American newspaper
reader as one more indication that
Germany Is desperately pressed for
every necessity of life and that this
internal situation must soon cause
her to "crack."
But Doctor Taylor looks at 1t in an
entirely different way.
Fhty-Ftve the Dead Line.
"That story simply Indicates how
far the Germans are willing to go to
win," he says. "If 1t is necessary to
abandon oil that part Of the German
population above f1fty-flve years of
age, they intend to do it They are
willing to take other measures as
coldly practical as that to pull through.
c. % b,pror dooth ond
toll are concerned. these cannot safe
ly be regarded as factors in Germany's
defeat. She has pulled through be-
fore. and will pull through again. The
only way to defeat Germany. in my
opinion. Is by a straight military de-
cision on the western front"
Since the second year Of the war.
accounts of German food shortage have
been staple reading in the American
and English newspapers. These have
been based upon German ratIoning
regulations. articles In the German
press dealing with food shortage, IN
formation brought out of Germany by
travellers, and other data. The SUBJ
ject Is one that has been carefully
studied by trustworthy Investigators
in great detail. Much of the informa-
ton obtained has undoubtedly been
sound. yet Doctor Taylor regards most
published accounts of German hunger
as mischievous, II not as deliberate
enemy propaganda. Largely through
his investigations the United States
food administration has adopted the
policy of discountenancing reports Of
German hunger.
''The Germans are unquestionably
on very short rations." he adds, but
know the German mind, the German
state, the German press. The obedi-
ence of the German mind to the Ger
man state and the latter's control of
the German press are so complete that
even admitting German food shortage
to be as grave as reports indicate, all
published Information on this subject
coming out of Germany is still artfully
colored for military ends. That must
| never be lost sight of. Germany will
unquestionably have hard pinch in
food this summer, but she is going to
pull through again so far as food Is
concerned, and all plans based upon
that as factor in the military situa-
ton rest on an unsound basis. The
Germans are suffering. No matter-in
the winning Of this war we cannot
afford to give any thought whatever
to their suffering from hunger-their
! submarines give none to the suffer-
| ings of our allies.
Must Win by Fighting.
When we ourselves entered the war
! n year ago, German food shortage was
accepted as one of the apparent fac
, tors which would help us win. Twelve
months experience has brought an
| awakening to the American people.
/ We now know that allied countries