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Show FOOD SHORTAGE. The food situation is becoming more and more tense in Kurope. Only the other day the people of Norway were told by their government that "they would be called upon to endure great hardships until after the European war comes to an end, and that it was by no means certain that Norway would not be forced into the struggle. The Norwegians Nor-wegians have lost half their shipping since tho Germans began their unrestricted unre-stricted submarine campaign nearly a year ago, and one of the greatest sources of revenue for the people of the country has been sadly curtailed. In addition, Norway, being a neutral state., is unable to import foodstuffs from the United States, the entente allies being first on our list and supplies sup-plies being short all over the world. It is probable that this country would help the Norwegians if it could, but it seems to be out of the question at the present time .unless there are a few shiploads of corn available. But as Norway is at peace, it is not probable the people will starve during the winter, although they will have much less than the usual amount of food. The country- is not densely populated popu-lated and the cities arc comparatively small. In some respects they are better off than the people of France, which has all of her able-bodied men in the field, while part of her territory is in the hands of the Huns. The French are a frugal people and there is little food waste in the country in ordinary times. Since the war began they have pinched and scraped in order that the men at the front might be well fed. "Now they have been called upon to curtail their use of bread, the staff of life. The entire en-tire wheat crop has been requisitioned by the French government, and from now on only the very poor and men and women doing the hardest kind of manual man-ual labor will have more than seven ounces of war bread a day. War bread is made of flour comprising all the elements ele-ments of wheat, except bran, with a heavy admixture of flour from other grains, which is obligatory. But this is not all. Baking of pastry pas-try or biscuits from flour that is fit for bread is prohibited. Confectioneries Confection-eries and other such shops are closed two days in the week, and eating pastries pas-tries in public is forbidden. It is stated that the French people will accept the sacrifice uncomplainingly on account of the fact that all the ships the allied nations can muster are needed for the transportation of America n t roops. They have also been told that grain for French bread can come from America only by virtue of actual saving of tli is grain by reduced consumption upou the part of the American people. We fear that the people of the United States, a great majority of them at least, do not realize the plight of our allies or there would be a much greater effort put forth to conserve food all along the line in order that the ratious of the French people might be increased. in-creased. The other day we mentioned the fact that the people of England were to be rationed in the near future. It now appears that the order will not be given until the first of April, but it is said that unless the situation improves the consumption of beef in England must be reduced at least one-half. The chief difficulty, so far as Great. Britain is concerned, is the lack of ships, and the fact that supplies from Australia and New Zealand cannot be readi !y obtained. ob-tained. According to the decision ar-rhed ar-rhed at in Paris at the meeting of the inter-allied council, the. most important act ion to be t a kn just now is to gt huneds of thousands of American t roops into France and Italy. K very-' very-' thing ei-e must g't e wav until all the i available men are sent across the Atlantic. At-lantic. So the people of France and ; England must govern th'-nisel es ac-, ac-, cording'y. j Starvation stories are coming in a i rounda bout w ay from Germany, bu t while we have no doubt the people of the centra! powers are enduring much . Miffcrinn. there is no chance to obtain detailed information upon the subject. Both Paly and Greece are short of j food in the midst of the war. and the .people, of these two countries must en-dure en-dure 2 rent privation. Tho Germans may get a supply of wheat from Russia, and iit seems to us that we should curtail jour use of food still further in order j that our allies mav not fae starvation. |