The Washington herald., 1918-08-25

tary 1ictatorshfp II not calculated to
facilitate their task OF extracting
a. much corn and other foodstuffs
as possible from the stores OF the
recalcitrant peasantry. Their at
tempt to compel the farmers to sow
their lands resulted in widespread
agrarian uprising. The peasants are
reported to be forcibly resisting the
German soldiers sent to take deliv-
cry Of the reduisitioned corn In
some parts they are cutting down or
destroying the haif-ripe crops, set
ting fire to forests and farm build
ings, and generally doing all in their
power to impede the proper cultiya-
ton OF the soil
In many districts state OF Siege
has been declared. mixed Ukraine
and German detachments are being
employed to queli the disturbances.
and guerilla warfare IL carried on.
No doubt. provided enough troops
are made available. the Germans will
succeed in suppressing the move
ment. though. given the extent Of
the Ukraine. the task is likely to
prove dificult one, and. In any
case. It will be too late 10 bring
help for the coming harvest. More
over. German methods Of repression
cen only intensity the resentment
felt by the Ukraine peasants for
their foreign taskmasters, and thus
discourage cultivation and diminish
the amount Of food available for sx-
port to Germany,
As set-off to the Ukraine fiasco." !"
German statesmen have been busily
booming the prospects OF relief from
Rumania- The Central Powers un-
doubtedly are in q position. by max
ing fuli eoe Of their iniquitous agree
ment ior the exploitation Of Ru-
manias resources, to add to their
stocks of food for the coming year.
But judging from the experience Of
the past three years the results
actually achieved In this direction will
fall far short OF the exaggerated an
ticipauons now SO freely encouraged.
Lock to Rumania.
A significant fact. which cannot fall
to arouse suspicion as to the SINGER
ity Of the official utterances on the
subject. is the marked discrepancy in
the figures Of Rumanian food exports
publicly quoted by German states
men. At one time Herr Won Braun ad-
mitted that the export OF grain from
Rumania during the present harvest
year has failed to reach the expected
minimum of 100000 tons. and that,
even IL the Central Powers receive, as
they hope to. another 125.o0o tons of
maize. the total amount exported will
be under 10000 tons. Only q few
days later Herr Won Kuhlman declares
publicly that Rumania has already ex-
ported over 1000, 900 tons Of grain dur
ing. the current year. and that. taking
into account the rich resources Of the
| country, and remembering that I'm
future Bessarabia viii be included
| with Rumania under one administra-
| ton, 1t is permissible to look for
! ward to the whole question of the
supply of food for the Central Powers
with a considerable amount of conf
dence.
The latest news received here
points to a partial failure OF the
harvest both in Rumania and Bessa-
rabia. Quite apart from adverse
conditions arising from revolution
and war. drought has undoubtedly
caused considerable injury to the
crops. The Besarabian minister In
the Rumanian government Is report-
ed to have stated that in conse.
quence Of the long drought the har-
vest in Bessarabia was extremely
bad. while in the German Reichstag
statement has lately been made
that Rumania is faced with a COM
plete crop failure, owing to the war
and the weather, so that the chances
of getting any big quantities of ag-
ricultural products from that source
should not be estimated too highly.
Altogether. so far as the authorities
can Judge. Germany's prospects for
the coming harvest are by no means
as rosy as was thought when the
Eastern barrier was broken
through.
Food Control Firm.
Under these circumstances IL il
not surprising to find that the Ger
, man government do not consider
the moment propitious for relaxing
in the slightest degree, the system
of food control which alone has
enabled the country to hold out.
There has Of late been a regular
campaign among the agragian
classes and traders for a greater
measure Of freedom in the disposal
OF food products. but the govern
ment have hitherto rejected the va
rious proposals for even a partial
return to normal trade conditions.
This regulations issued for the con-
troll of the harvest OF 1913 are in
all essential particulars the same as
last year, and such slight modifica-
tions as have been introduced are
all In the direction Of extending and