Ellsworth American., 1918-01-30
Success in War Imperiled If
American Homes Do Not
Come to Rescue.
HUN PROPAGATION At WORK
Stories Alleging pIentitude Of Food
In Allied Countries Jeopscdize
Cause of AIIies--cerrsspon-
dent Tells of Conditions
in France.

age IN France and other allied Euro
pean countries, are creating wrong
7 impression In the public mind and Sc
riously hampering the government
foed conservation program, declare;
the United States food administration
The administration can only repeat
what II has said all along on the basis
Of official government statistics:
There rs a serious food shortage IN
France, and in other allied European
lands.-shortage which. If not made
up by conservation in American homes
I and shipments from American ports.
I viii imperiI allied success in the war.
Any statement. innocent or mali
cious. which alleges plentltude OF
/ food over there is German propaganda.
I pure and simple.
Get Wrong Impression
Persons returning from Paris have
unintentionally jeopardized the cause
of the allies by giving American news
papers their fash impressions of food
conditions In France. Explaining how
this happens. Fred B. Pitney, Ameri-
can correspondent. recently returned
from France, said:
Il have kept house In Paris during
the war and can speak from expert
ence. One learns a great deal when
keeping house Of which one gets no
inkllng when living In hotel and eat
ing In restaurants. One can always go
TO a restaurant and get meal.
II have heard many visiting Ameri-
cans, who lived in France in that way,
poOh-pOoh the idea that there was a
food shortage in the country. II those
same persons had had to search the
market before they had their meals,
they would have gained a very differ
ent idea Of the food situation.
"we paid last winter in Paris IL
cents apiece for eggs and 81 pound
for butter and there was frequently
neither butter. nor eggs nor milk to
be had. Private families were allow
ed to buy one-eighth of a pound of
-four al time. The grocers could not
sell -four. only the bakers"
ne Meat Situation.
Scofiinc at the idea that there is
shortage In France. one article re-
Gently published in the United States
declared that a certain Paris meat
market advertised beef a Ia mode"
and other real meat items as 'meat-
less day specials"
This. according to Pitney. may cas-
fly have occurred without at all indi-
eating that there was no meat shortage
In France. With regard 10 the meat
situation Pltney said:
'The French government IS very bu-
reaucratic. but the French people do
not like TO be overgoverned. They OBJ
ject seriously to anything that savers
OF meddling in a mans private affairs.
Saying how much or what a man
shall eat Is getting pretty close to pri-
yate affairs and therefore the French
government knowing intimately the
people II has TO deal with. Is slow
s-l-O-w-in coming to such measures
even In face Of the only too evident
food shortage In the country.
$50 far. meat has withstood all ef-
has been no attempt 20 control its
price. and yet II Is vitality necessary to
contrOl the consumption OF meat in
France or to increase the supply"
iserds Are Disappearing.
With regard 20 the published state
ment In this country that Frances
herds are sleek. fat and plentiful, Pit
ney said:
Frances herds are disappearing
rapidly. They are today far below the
danger point. soon they win have 70
be reconstructed entirely. To what ex-
tent the herds have disappeared Il
shown by the cutting Of the meat ra
ton OF the soldiers at the front. Al
the beginning Of the war they wer'
allowed one pound Of meat a day
Twenty per cent has now been Gu
from that ration. Only dire necessit.
will countenanes reducing the foo'
allowance of soldiers at the front.
AT the beginning Of 1914 France
cattle herds comprised IL, ,TsT.7 no head
sheep I8.i3i.3o0 and hogs 7.os5,so'
BY the end OF 1914. after five month
Of war. her cattle were reduced
I2,06s.2s3. her sheep TO l4.03s-S6i an
hogs 10 5.s25. .2e1. Today her cattl
herds are down more than 20 per cen
while her sheep number no more tina
100000 and her hogs 100000.
Cattle feed is short In France an
the cattle are poor and underweight
National Prizes Fixing.
Concerning the statement that the
are plenty Of beans and potatoes
France. Pitney said:
"A scheme OF national price fxing
10 be tried now with beans and poi
toes. Both OF these crops are far
low the requirements Of the country
have seen many days when potato
l as...tH go ha haughf In Paris {"