The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-07
Thousands Beg fer Food

Nevin o. Winter, in Leslie's
[ have seen crowds of people surround
the food officials and Red Cross workers
that would melt the heart of adamant.
Women beg piteousy, some with copious
tears and others with undimmed eyes,
for food for the almost starving chill
dren who cling to their skirts. They
request nothing for themselves. Thou
sands are being fed in soup kitchens
placed in operation by the Red Cross or
local organizations, as the simplest meth
cd of relieving the distress on large
scale. There is every reason to believe
that practically the whole of Russia, at
least the cities, will present the same
problem when opened to relief organiZa-
tons The conditions in Petrograd are
terrible. Southern Russia, the Ukraine
and the Cossack country, is probably in
slightly better condition, for there is
more cultivated land and the soil is
much more fertile. Every edible root
and succulent grass is being utilized to
provide sustenance. In the remote sec
items of Finland, relief Investigators
found the people living largely upon the
inside bark of young trees. Thousands
of young trees from which all the bark
had been scraped were mute evidence of
this fact. 1t is an inhospitable country,
where there can be little food raised be-
cause of the severity of the weather and
the unfertile soil.
The scarcity of food and draught ami
mails in itself presents one of the most
serious problems for the future, since
they cannot be replaced quickly. The
peasants must soon have horses or oxen
to cultivate the land. There must be
plentiful supply of cows: otherwise there
will not be milk for children and IN
valids; butter ii supply the needed fat,
or cheese to provide the protens de-
manded by nature. 1t requires about
.IAxrAl ArN
steer to the point where it is really use
full. and the number of breeding animals
is too Inadequate to entirely replace the
want within a period of three years.
one sees the DIMINISHED supply of cat
tie everywhere. In Ccecho- Slovakla the
acquisitions of the Amy absorbed prac-
tically one-fourth of the steers and cows
in Poland the loss is probably as great
and even in Hungary the situation is not
much better Finland, formerly DAIRY
country almost rivaling Denmark, IS not
able to export any butter. Inc desert
region of France must also be taken INTO
consideration in estimating 1000 eohui-
lions, for the production OF the oat,ie
SCARED sections of France meant much
for that country prosperity on" 49,
tenance as we'll.
The problem of feeding Europe would
he simpler if the financial conditions
were different. If all these Needy anu
! if1r,3verished countries mad money VI
lnoi,id assets which would establish the
necessary credit. the food situation might
solve itself High prices might stimulate
stiff icient increased production IN the
United states, Canada. Australia and Ar
yentina to produce sufficient food to pre-
+, serve life But cash will be demanded
nv the producer and must be procured
! from somewhere Whether 1t can pe
/ done or not is doubtful.
| German Austria, with Vienna contain
/ ing a quarter of the population ana win
much unproductive soil. will be far from
| self-supporting. She will be saddled with
a heavy debt as result OF the war
| Jugo- Slavia's needs are great and the
country newly formed. with despoiied
| Serbia as the nucleus. Hungary mas SUI
fered heavily from her attack OF boishe-
vism. even if the attack has not been
| 90 acute Mas that of Russia. Czecho-
! Sloyal5ia is even more thickly populated
man Germany, and must import mnch
food. Poland's demands are muititudif
ous for the country was robbed ana
| Of rinped of almost everything OF value
! Nv advancing and retreatins armies anu
ber anti-bolshevik army expense Is large
| E,in1rod's four millions are largely ue-
,andent upon imported foods.