Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-17

The question of food supplies lin
the spring and summer of 1910 was
Of equal Importance to the people ana
the army to man and beast,
The work Of the army in the field
depended in a high degree on their
rations. That and leave are the two
decisive matters in morale. | thus
had to give to the question Of food
my fun attention,
The reduction in morale at home
was equally due to the food situation.
The human body did not receive, es-
pecially in albumen and fats the nee
essary nourishment for the matnten-
ance of physical and mental Vigor. In
wide circles a certain decay of bodily
and mental power of resistance was
to be seen, producing an unmanly and
historical attitude which enabled en-
envy propaganda to encourage the
pacifst leanings of many Germans.
In the summer OF 1917 my first
glimpse into this situation startled
me considerably. This attitude was
tremendous element of weakness.
1t was all question of human nature.
It could be eliminated to some extent
by strong patriotic feeling, but in the
long run could only be finally defeat
|
ment. More food was needed. We
had TO find new sources Of supply, to
conserve our stocks and, above all, to
increase our own production. This
| last was the most important
The occupation of WallaChia tRu-
mania) was definite step. Other
measures We're needed to assist FUR
| Their. The need for the employment
of straw and timber for fodder, and
perhaps even for human food, was
constantly insisted on by the supreme
army command, as was the gathering
of leaf-hay for fodder. Just as We
| had to get every ounce of strength out
of the people to carry on the war, so
we had, with the assistance of our
scientists, to win everything from
nature that could be worked up into
| food forJinan and beast,
Government Lacked Courage to rake
Hold of the Problem.
/ The question of prices was a matter
! for the home authorities. 1t was com
plicated by political consideration. In
| the then conditions of socialist agita-
ton against the country generally and
the agrarian party (the Junker land
owners), who were raising the price of
bread against the poor, and of the
already serious difficulties of living,
! the government lacked the courage to
take the long view and regulate the
maximum prices adequately.
Agriculture, suffering from very
high costs of production, and faced
bv the need to prepare for carrying
| on after the war was often quite in
capable of working profitably ON the
basis of the then maximum prices
Supplies were not sufficient for the
population. and the low prices did
not even secure that they were al
brought to market.
The non-eXpert bodies, whose duty
it was to secure that all stocks were
delivered were incapable of doing so
They often irritated and estrangec
the country people. The individual
did not even receive his official ration
which of itself was fixed too low Il
maintain his full strength, As re
suit. both town and country set abou
to help themselves. Illicit trading anC
= boarding increased, and there wa
| Soon no sure ground to be seen IL
the problem.
Masses of People Starved.
Producers kept sufficient supplie
t for themselves, and more besides, ant
I even if their whole consumption wa
of little importance, when spread
over the whole population, their con
duct was bound to embitter feeling.
= The broad mass of the people es
4 pecially the middle classes, includlni
officials and officers with fixed sala
ries, suffered real hardship. rev
I no doubt. fell to temptation in tn
= difficult times and helped themselves
but the majority We're literally starved
This came as an additional burde
| over and above all the other dlfflcul
| ties suffered by the middle classes
And yet this class, oppressed IN ever
| direction and suffering silently, oil
o its duty to the very end,
The workmen were better locke
: after. They adjusted their demand
n for increased wages, which they SUP
s ported by striking, to the Illicit trad
=, ing prices. True, an appreciate mum
her of the working classes also SUI
Il fered hardship, but in contrast to tn
Il middle classes they really had enouS
& to live on.
\ Illicit trading became of the great
est importance in domestic ponuc
e 1t grew with the length of the wal
!; the more people at home lost intere:
10 in the war, the more their natural IT
stincts, having now no counterVailin
: force. pressed them more strongi
forward Illicit trading and hoardin
70 took continually more and more dill
gushing forms, and these and the d.
clining morale interacted on one al
Id other with Increasingly disastrous n
re suits.
a Maximum Price Plan Fails.
- Our system of control with max
ID mum prices had failed. Productic
l. did not increase, and yield fell OF
H. through shortage of labor, lack of nj
nure and bad weather The mar
suggestions which the supreme arm
ne command made to the chancellor 4
a combating illicit trading. eXtrayaga
~ middlemens profits and high wage
1, which had to be defeated if we we
VI to maintain our capacity to fight, m
a with no response.
1.-THE whole thing was farce. ~
fear lest the maximum prices for a
ricultural produce should be fixed t
high actually contributed greatly
increasing the general cost of livil
he and widening the gulf between toy
he and country. The discontinued ell
- ments knew how to make capital o
of all these occurrences. Our eneml'
ar starvation blockade triumnhed, a.
lat caused us both physical and sptritu
ay distress.
My own view of the system OF co
~ troll was that the sooner 1t was ]
moved, and free trading again ps