Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-01

plish useful work. It must not be
come bureaucratic, but must adop
itself to the needs of the situation
Precedent that grave-digger of in
dependent judgment, could not appl.
here, thank God! We produced I
sound organization. well fitted to cop
with the heavy demands made upon II
We gave special attention to thu
health of the population. We trl
, umphed over spotted fever, which
was rampant in many places, 1t in
vOlved heavy sacrifices in doctors,
To pacify the population and give
, material relief to the country, VIZ
made beginning with the redemp
ton of requisition notes issued by tht
troops during operations. 1t was {
difficult and complicated matter Il
i carry through. From now on we
paid for everything in cash. l want
ed in that way to help the country
I and increase its productivity in my
view a very important matter.
1t was necessary for us to obtain
control of the products of the soil anG
to ensure the proper management OF
agriculture and fun utilization of the
soil This was all the more difficult
| because the population was so small
| For example, the district of Bauske
| only numbered four inhabitants to the
square kilometer.
In our anxiety to help the home
country and indeed under pressure
we attempted too much in the way
of cultivation. We interested Ger
man companies in the business. in
| the hope of their being able, with
the means at their disposal to inn
prove the cultivation of the thinly
| populated regions.
| We took big estates under our own
management Motor ploughs and ag-
ricultural machinery of all kinds We're
supplied Seed was distributed. Army
horses helped in the ploughing. The
main thing, however, was to stimulate
the interest Of the local population by
paying ready money and fixing falr
| prices.
The prices we allowed were lower
| than those adopted by the general
government of Warsaw, but they We're
| quite adequate. We took into consld-
Grafton the already enormous eXpen-
diture of the treasury. Prince MaXs
! government raised the prices imme-
diately--I do not know why; at any
rate he got no thanks for 1t.
| The soil was, generally speaking,
| unproductive, and disappointed our
hopes. 1t is not drained, and Guilt
| walton can only be attempted late in
the season The varieties of seed Were
not selected with sufficient care.
Artificial manure was unknown. The
Yields of hay and clover, rape-seed
and flax were alone satisfactory.
The transport of stores to the rail-
wav and other collecting stations was
a particularly ardous business Ihe
roads were bad, and it took days to
get the produce of the land to these
places in small carts drawn by one
or two horses. We paid premiums,
but the peculiar difficulties of this
theater of war could only be reduced,
not eliminated. A good deal was
never delivered at all.
Arrangements were Immediately
made for the installation of potato
drying plants, and we took steps 70
organize the production of fodder
from wood and straw
Took a Census of Cattle.
1t was doubly necessary to exploit
to the full the resources of the oceu-
pied territory. as the demands on the
home cattle stocks were so great.
Cattle had of course, suffered Sc
verely owing to the war. A census
had to be taken. 1t was a difficult
business. Many We're hidden IN the
cellars or driven into the forests, but
we were gradually successful in our
stock taking, although there was no
register. But by degrees we got a
regular trade going.
We paid much attention to the cul-
tiyation of vegetables and fruit. Jam
and marmalade factories were estab-
lished. Mushrooms in large quantities
were collected and dr!ed.
The fishing rights of the numerous
large lakes We're leased, At Libau
deep-sea fishing was organized.
Everything that could be used for
food was developed to the fullest eX-
tent.
The condition of the town popula-
ton was desperate, and in the Win
ter of 1856 we were compelled to
draw on our military stores for the
alienation of distress. Later the con-
ditions improved considerably. The
army received its share. and / also
helped the home country.
remembered that when in June or
July, 1916, Herr Won Batocki asked
me to assist Berlin, | was in posi-
ton to do so.
Let American Jews hep.
In order to help the country We
permitted the activities of the exist
ing foreign maintenance committees
of the various nationalities inhabiting
the occupied territory, on condition
that their support should not he con-
fined to inhabitants of their own ma
tionality, but that they should also
consider others. The Jewish commit
tee, who had the largest means at
their disposal derived from Ameri-
ca), showed themselves broad-mind-
ed and did useful work. Their activ-
tiles testified to the extraordinary
unity of this people and won recogni-
ton The first Jewish national kitch-
en- established in Kovno bore my
name. The army Rabbi Rosenack
made the suggestion to me.
The conscriptior of horses natural
~ lay in the hands of the military.
The occupied territory had to supply
large number. if we wished to avoid
, making yet heavier demands on the
home country.
The Lithuanian horse IS small and
strong: II possesses great powers of
endurance, and its wants are few. 1t
is therefore a very useful animal for
military purposes.
The country was bound to suffer
severely as the result of the continu-
Gus heavy demands made upon it,
and the constant levies of horses and
cattle. The local administrative au-
thorities often drew my attention to
this fact, but there was nothing for
1t but TO insist on these deliveries.
The area governed by us was no more