Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-03-18 | Page 17 | New War Disease is Psychological

M WAR DISEASE IS PSYCHOLOGICAL German Fear of Starvation Becomes Contagious Among People. IT SAPS THE COURAGE Press Is Making Every Effort Ef-fort to Quiet the Mind Against Panic. AMSTERDAM, March 17. There appears ap-pears in the German press what amounts to an 'official attempt to hinder hin-der tho development of what is termed the new war disease. The faet that this article is widely printed indicates the danger apprehended by the authorities author-ities from this source. After reading the "victorious struggle strug-gle of our doctors against the old war diseases, cholera, typhus, spotted fever, smallpox," it is stated that another war disease has made ite appoaranc for which so far no remedy has been found. "This disease is of a much more difficult character, as it is mental and psychological, ana is quickly spread from one sufferer to another. It is found, strangely enough, in peaceful countrysides where war's alarms have not penetrated, and in big towns. Fear of Starvation. "It is first a fear of starvation, and out of this fear arises a sort of psychological psy-chological hunger fear. This confusion of ideas is something exciting, sometimes some-times crippling, and robs one of courage cour-age and sense. "We all know of the food difficulties, difficul-ties, and those who retain cool judgment judg-ment should regard our position from a detached standpoint, and should see us as a strong, healthy nation, which through long peace years was accustomed accus-tomed to luxury which far exceeded all bodily needs, and which is now placed on smaller rations. "All is being done to produce more food and secure equal distribution, but one thing is certain, namely, there i6 sufficient to last till next harvest. Nevertheless wide circles are anxious and dissatisfied. This leads to superstitious super-stitious fear exaggerated and happily not justified fear of the complete absence ab-sence of food. Practice Condemned. "Fear of starving still causes many' to make luxurious use of available supplies, sup-plies, to use all sorts of tricks in order to attempt to cover themselves with a reserve layer of fat for times of still greater scarcity. Thus there arises a deep psychic hunger fear and one communicates com-municates it to another. "The bad example of well-to-do, educated edu-cated people has an effect on the masses. It kills spirit and courage and robs our valiant men in the trenches of quiet confidence and endurance. We j rightly condemn those who write of home troubles to those at the front. It is right that our field command do not tell us of the terrible things 6een there. "In thousands of letters, mostly written by women, the writers speak of nothing else but the fear of ultimate ulti-mate starvation. Those who write thus commit a great wrong against all. They will not starve. This has been provided pro-vided against. So down with the contagious con-tagious psychology of near hunger."