The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1919-05-08

FOOD SUPPLIES
RUNNING SHORT

and despair prevailed IN the new
republic of Czecho- Slovakia before
the Allied governments began to
ship food supplies to that country
in the latter part of February.
1t is not known here whether this
situation has been relieved to any
large extent but shipments of floue.
milk and other supplies have since
been forwarded to Prague and ad-
ditional footstuffs were in Triest
awaiting transportation TO the
Czecho-Slovaks
An appeal by Dr. Alice G. Mas
aryk, daughter of President Masaryk,
and head of the Czecho-Slovak Red
Cross, written on February 20. pic
lures the conditions in her country
as a terrible one American. Brit
ish and French authorities are en-
deavoIing to respond
Ii is stated that. unless help ar
rived quickly. million children
under six years old were doomed
TO die; that 100000 children up
to Il years were weak from under
feeding and that the mortality
among the old and feeble was ap-
palling.
Separated from the Allied terri
tories on three sides by Germany
and Austria, the Czecho-Slovak re-
public was. even before its birth,
ruthlessly and Systematically de-
nuded by the Austrians Of all food
stuffs and supplies. When hostili-
ties were suspended, there was in
Czecho-Slovakia no corn, meat, cloth
ing or medicines. The scanty weekly
ration Of a pound Of flour 10 each
person in Prague, the capital. ceas-
ed on February 20. Two-thirds OF
the cattle and pigs of the country
already have been slaughtered and
the lack OF fat is extreme The
supply Of milk was only one-thirtieth
Of normal. More than so per cent
i, Of the babies of Prague were rachi-
tic, anaemic or consumptive. More
than half the patients in the child
lren's hospital died of consumption,
In the mining districts the posi-
tlon as reported here. is still worse.
At kladno, lie Of the l65 babies
born in 1918 died of consumption.
Births throughout the country have
decreased one-half and deaths have
increased Sc per cent
Almshouses, maternity hospitals
and other charitable institutions can
no longer feed their inmates. Nine
teen per cent of the infants under
one year in Pilsen, the formerly
flourishing city of breweries and
arsenal workers, died last year from
lack of nutrition. Prices of house
hold commodities have risen 700 to
500 per cent while wages have in
creased 200 to 800 per cent. Cloth
ing costs ten times more than for
merly and sewing cotton is 100
times dearer than before the war.
These reports show that Professor
Thomas G. Masaryk, the first presi-
dent of the new Czecho-Slovak re-
public. who went from New York
last winter to assume his duties,
faces herculean task. Writing TO
Lacy Muriel Paget on February ~,
the presidents daughter told her,
father said he hoped you would
come. Do come and help us
Lady Paget has obtained from
the French government, 10 trucks
which the American Red Cross has
filled with medical supplies for thu
Gzecho-Slovaks, and plans TO take
to Bohemia 20 tons of rice. Re-
cent information, however, states
that freight traffic to Bohemia is
disorganized and the fear is ex-
pressed that the Austrian threat.
''if we are to lose Bohemia, we shall
lose har a. n eornra r,.,- boaorai