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Show PINCH IN GERMANY. It may be set down as a fact that so long as there is food to be had in any quarter of the world that can be transported trans-ported over the ocean, Great Britain will purchase it and take chances on being able to deliver it at her home ports. The government may be compelled com-pelled to pay extortionate prices and may suffer heavy losses on account of unrestricted submarine warfare, but the people of England will not starve although al-though they may possibly be put on short rations from now on until such time as peace is declared. The food situation ill Germany is in a much more precarious condition. The blockade of the allies is highly effective effec-tive and German food imports are practically prac-tically nil at the present time. The Germans Ger-mans have already purchased what food they could obtain in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Holland, and there will be no further relief from this quarter unless the blockade of the allies can be rendered ineffective, which is highly improbable. im-probable. The story of the Associated Press correspondent who recently spent three weeks in Berlin after an absence of five months, is illuminating on the question of food supplies in Germany. According to this account the food situation in Berlin is constantly showing show-ing a decided change for the worse, that the quantity of food is small and the quality decidedly poor. There are no animal fats to be had except at prices which preclude their use, and oils for cooking purposes are likewise scarce aud high. The combination of substances sub-stances used to make ''coffee'' is said to produce an abominable substitute and as the beer is well nigh un-' drinkable the German people, the poorer classes, at least, may be said to have entered upon a period of starvation. starva-tion. They could get along without the fats and oils and the beer and "coffee," "cof-fee," but they cannot live without bread and meat, sugar, milk and eggs. These articles of food are issued by card and never in sufficient quantities to satisfy the requirements of those who get them. Now that a majority of the American Ameri-can correspondents have left Berlin along with former Ambassador er-ard er-ard and the other officials recalled when relations between the United States and Germany were severed, it is more than probable that the full story of what has happened and what is happening hap-pening in Germany will be told, and the world may be able to .judge how long the, "war to the knife" policy can last before there is a breakdown in the rear, the civil population being no longer able to continue the war on empty stomachs, even though there is food enough for the soldiers. x |