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Show FOOD PROBLEM lil fil!3 SERIOUS Supply Is Ample, but It Is Not Moved Because of Transportation Lack. Special Cable to The Tribune. PETROORAD, Jan. 22. Due to th lack of transportation facilities, the fooc problem in Russia is serious. The Novo Vremya says: Demands for foodstuffs are coming com-ing from all parts of the empire, and they are getting more and more urgent. ur-gent. The large cities, like Petro-grad Petro-grad and Moscow, are short of almost everything. If they have meat and sugar enough for a short time then there is a lack of bread. When more grain and flour arrive the meat and sugar supply is used up. Something is always missing. The laboring classes are suffering terribly, although there is enough food in Russia to sustain the population popula-tion for two or three years. In the rural districts enormous quantities of wheat, butter, lard and meat are wailing shipment, but the railroad facilities are insufficient, and the transportation service had been com-pleiely com-pleiely disorganized for many months. The blame for these conditions has to be placed on the shoulders of certain cer-tain high officials, who not only prevent pre-vent d the building of more railroads before the war, but are alro incapable of running thoso in existence efficiently. effi-ciently. Even In the Caucasus, only a comparatively com-paratively short distance from the granaries of southern Russia, the popularion of the larger cities faces starvation. In some of these cities the bakeries have been stormed by mobs and the military authorities hail to take drastic measures to prevent serious riots. If the minister of the Interior does not ant quickly to solve the food and transportation problem, grave disorders dis-orders are sure to follow, because hungry mobs know no law. The question ques-tion of feeding the millions in the large cities and Industrial centers is more important Just now than military mili-tary successes at the front. Tho people peo-ple must at once be supplied with sufficient food, even If the military transports have to be stopped for a few weeks. The promised great offensive, of-fensive, by which ihe Baltic provinces prov-inces and Poland are to he cleared of the enemy, can wait. There is no hurry, because our army will only become be-come stronger, If the deciding campaign cam-paign Is postponed until spring, or even later. |