1917-05-02 — Page 5

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THE REAL DANGER OF FAMINE

THE WORLD'S FOOD SUPPLIES.

[BY BRANCIS GRIMIR.)

TEN RONGKONG DAILY PRESS,

GERMANY HAS NOT THE MEN TO HOLD ALL FRONTS.

BY. HILAIRE BELLOC.}

THE FUNDAMENTAL, FACT, A

THURSDAY, MAY 8ED, 1917.

THE

DARK FORCES" AND THEIR WORK, GLIMPSES OF SECRET HISTORY.

A Russian Correspondent of the London Morning Post writes

A SOMME HOSPITAL.

In a hollow in the Somme valley a what would seem to be a builder's yard. -or a town very newly planned. That The major truth underlying all others is to say, there are wooden sheds and about the present situation of the war is embryo roads and a railway siding, and Those who know their Germany have that the enemy's front is extended at high there is mud. The mud is important: long predicted the coming of time tension. He is holding, first and last (ex-from many points of view--from almost when the Germans would be cking out a cluding Asiay, not far short of 2,000 miles all your actions; your conduct of life the then Prime Minister precarious existence by stealing each of front, and, in spite of the advantages becomes increasingly dependent upon the other's potatoes. That time appears to given him by marshes in one place, forests efficacy of your boots to cope with in have come. The plundering of the potato in another, mountains in a third, he has You have rubber boots and imperme pits by the women of Wesel is probably not the men to hold those fronts during ables" and snow-boots and sabots, and not the first occurrence of the kind, and the current year, supposing him to be one of them do more than make you it certainly will not be the last. One subjected to anything like what has feel you have done your best with a has also heard of banda ef hooligans hitherto been the normal wastage of the forlorn hope. Often you leave them be- raiding the shops of the provision, deal-summer fighting. The Alliance against hind you and bring your feet home wit era and the cellars of the millionaires him has the men not only to hold him out bein. The wooden sheds becomes for hams and eggs and sausages and upon those fronts, but to supply wastage arks flasting on a sea of mud, and you goes. So we may, as well face the ques

have no desire to play the role of dove, tion which is bound to arise soon

"That, I repeat, is the fundamental even with a cinder-path or an embank- fact uobn which the whole position ment of rush-walk to help you. In poses. If anyone reads into that fact the this quasi-builder's yard are the four cortitude of victory it is not my fault thousand beds contained by the great nor the fault of anyone who has the func-heds of the evacuating hospital tion of stating

military problems in mili- certain victory which has gone on on both tary terms. The senseless prophecy of

In seeking the answers to all questions

sider in this campaign is the most inmill of the kind, one has to begin by admit-tary thing conceivable. ting that a good deal will depend upon regard to numbers is the cardinal truth The enemy knows that this truth with circumstances which cannot at present be dominating all others. accurately foreseen: next summer's weather, for instance, and the degree of success which attends the now German sink.at-sight" campaign. These are the unknown variables of the problem but there are also quite enough fixed and determinable factors to warrant certain inferences. And the chief of the fixed and determinable factors are those:-

1. The Germans are, at present trying to sink as many as possible of the ships en which they will eventually have to rely for the bulk of the food which they need so badly.

What will be the effect of peace, hastened by famine, on the world's food problems? Will it bring quick relief to the stomachs of the sufferers in the Cen tral Empirca 7 Can it do so without causing grave. embarrassment to the rest of the worldt

duction

of

de secours

the

I said last week, as I had said many straight from the oppås" or worn them appealed to the country, but it found

times hefore, that there was an unknown quantity, or margin in the shape of the unknown, Polish recruitment since out, wrote, those words I have had excellent evidence that. Polish recruitment has hitherto wholly failed.

2. The world's production of food is gradually adjusting itself (as the prolighting Beason

опа saleable commodity always does) to the demands of re stricted market,

any

-PARLIAMENT POWERLESS.

While, during the revolution of 1905, Prince Sviatopolak Mirsky, approached the Em- peror to represent to him the necessity of granting a constitution to Russia, the Emperor answered :-" I shall give the constitution, but I shall be an autocrat?! “Yes, your Majesty," answered the Prince. Such was the tale repeated in Court circles in Petrograd,・ Indeed, since then Russia has been a conatitu tional Monarchy under an autocratic Em peror, this result being due to the fact that the popular party had no suitabin leaders in the great revolution after the Russo-Japanese War. The Russian people were then powerful enough to destroy, but they had not HOW IMPOSSIBLE OPERATIONS SUCCEED. moral strength to create new institutions, unusually successful attempt to cope however, have brought about great The hospital is an attempt~and an The last ten years of Russian history, with the wounded of whole armies at once changes in the Russian people. The re- It is the concentration of all the field] for this region of the great offensive gone a political training The Duma hon hospitals that would otherwise be needed presentatives of the nation have under Men are brought in there in ambulances been their school. During their education and mistakes were unavoidable. Such a mis-" and sorted out into

blessés," less take for instance, was the Viborg mani

Теве serious cases and the

festo of the second Duma. The Duma There

is provision for no fewer

than eight hundred grands blessés" at once. no support. It was a good lesson, show These are operated on and kept the resting that the power of that body was based are evacuated by the train in the railway solely and entirely on the nation, The Central Empires and their Allics, siding as soon as it is safe to move them coexistence of an autocratic Emperor then, are thrown back upon their own After an attack surgeons--some of the and a constitution was illogical, and resources, and we know that those re- sources are insufficient to retain their dist famous names in France are busy friction was the natural consequence,

day and night. The operating rooms are The next essential truth which must saving life-all the newest methods have pendent of the Russian Parliament. trength through this year.

fitted up with every possible means of The Russian Cabinet was quite inde- be read in connection with this is that the their place there. Operations succeed Ministers were chosen, not from among siderable force at the beginning of the possible. Given the war, the hospital exceptions), but from among officials enemy has plumped for hazarding a con which normally would be thought in the members of the Duma (with few

We know that he bas concentrated it, and we know that he is the Midi," dark and long lashed, was Parliament, and continually ignored the magnificent seale. A little boy from These took little account of the Russian about to launch it, Conscious of his in brought in, apparently smashed to pieces, representatives of the nation. At the sufficiency of men compared with his.op A shell bad broken his pelvis and what ponents, he had either to eke out to the not beside. After examination and treat outbreak of the war Russia became at latest possible date such drafts as he had ment he was packed into a bed much as once united as one man. All quarrels in sight, or to adopt the apposite policy you would pack the most fragile china and differences, disappeared. This stete of using at once all that he could spare in shavings or tissue paper in a box, and of things, however, did not last long. to get together. We know that he has he was going to recover, An officer was Russian officialdom took advantage of the chosen the latter policy. brought in too-shot through the lungs, patriotism and spirit of self-secrifice of The third thing we have to remem very nervous, he refused to be operated the nation to increase their own power. ber, which it will be politically essential on at first and when at last he consented They had their own traditions and their for us to remember when the final struggle if was in an agony of apprehension. The own views, and they refused to be tram- begins, is that the Western Allies have lung was taken out and the holes sewn melled by the new political conditions.

amply in their power to force one of up, and he also is on the more offensive moevments where and wher One may lived for weeks with an immense with the best elements in Russian life. It they choose.

stone hung on to the end of his leg to was the present Prime Minister, Prince. prevent shrinkage. Another but his was| Lvoff, who, first, it will be because he has been allowed cases are theher ride of the hospital you nation. In spite of the approval of the It the enemy launches his offensive an adbominal case, and the abdominal Trubetskoy, wrote out for the Grand together with Prince

to do so. Not because he has taken his

despair of the warm Duke his famous manifesto to the Polish -On the oppenents by surprise. If that offensis find all England. A French "infirmière, counter-stroke being launched, it will not English sergeant how he was getting on loss of comfortable positions in the continues for some little time without

Emperor, reactionary oficialdom took who spoke English A

well, asked a wounded i alarm. For many of them it meant the be because the counter stroke cannot be AI at Lloyd's was his mystifying Kingdom of Poland. The ex-Mayor of muncited. It will be because the delay in reply. Another Englishman was brought Petrograd. Count Tolstoy, related to me deliberately permitted by the Commaad upon our side. the

purse whether he was very bad. She told what difficulties he experienced with the with such amazing comments him nis was a serious case. An expression Minister of the Interior, M. Maklakoff, as those which the public of absolute hotros came over his face. He typical reactionary Count Tolstoy hed to read for a long time past, and had seen death all round his but come medal struck to commemorate the es we shall begin to grasp the conditions which the future peace will bring.

not even pretend to be based upon mill advice of his comrade in the next bed. The Minister forbade the sale of it. The instant effect of peace will tary study, there is a real danger that the Stick it!" He died an hour or two Pointing to the Polish coat of arms, the obviously be to bring Germany and were launching of an enemy offensive will after, sticking it, but still horrified eagle, on the reverse of the medal. ho Austria Hungary into the market from be enough to produce a bad political effect A grand blessé" who had been in the aid: "I forbid the sale because I do which they have so long been shut out upon opinion. That effect must be resist hospital considerably longer than was not know what this bird means." It Most likely Roumania and Turkey (fed by each of us with his whole power.nally the case became the spoilt child is the coat of arms of the Kingdom of not Bulgaria) will also stand in urgent There is no political instrument in of the ward and made the most of his Poland, answered the Mayor, I am need of access to it. At the same time this country for strengthening opinich privileges by grumbling more or less not aware, the Minister replied, with a all the countries which the war has com a restricting the pelled to impose Irksonic restrictions on tion of it by ignorant or corrap continuously. One day he said he was grin, that the Vistula provinces ought

writers. The tired of the food and wanted something to have any arms at all."

Count remedy can only be found in each manis else." What do want?"

*****Quelque Tolstoy, however, went to the Emperor, own self-respect and intelligence." chose de plus

Well, what, for délicat Land and Water..

instance f He thought a long time and and obtained his full approval of the

# then finally said, Salt pork. These issue of the medal. This incident illu- are the humours of the horrors. It is not strates the determined opposition of Bus- much good dwelling on horrors perhaps, in the Empire

sian officialdom to any progressive change

paid to the men who come where armies except that there is & certain debt to be meet. There countless operations, WAY

DEMAND, FOR FOOD WHEN PEACE COMES.

The Grat factor in the restriction of the market is, of course, the exclusion from it of an immense blockaded area the second is the transport difficulty As a result of the transport difficulty, the consumption of the staple articles of food is diminishing in all the allied and most of the neutral countries. In England we have Lord Devonport doing what he can to check it. In Bussia meatless days, are more numerous then saints' days, though saints' days are a great deal too numerous. Several limi tations have been imposed in France and Italy Food tickets of one sort and a other have been introduced in Holland and Scandinavia. This necessarily die courages food production, which is also impeded, in some cases, by lack of labour, Not only have many agriculturists had to join the Army in many of the Allied countries: there is also the case of the Argentine Republic missing the Italian labour on which it used largely to de

had

WHEN THE GREAT DAY COMES.

to

The Grand Duke Nicholas was in touch

pend: If we realise these present facts, such a flood of writing which dods how Stick it was the consolatory tablishment of Busso Polish friendship

the appetites of its nationals will want to remove those restrictions Es soon as possible. Consequently there will and denly appear in a limited market at least 120,000,000, and perhaps as many as 180,000,000 new buyers, together with board will be difficult to improvise on

TREACHERY CAUSES DEFEAT.

The position of the Grand Duke was of them highly successful--they are the doomed owing to his discovery of the best of what happens in the hospital, the treachery of Colonel Miasovedo, who, Our enemies, it is obvious, cannot be highest point reached by human science being a friend of the War Minister, parties to those negotiations. On the and skill and the best means unrealisable Sukhomlinoff, furnished the Germans other hand, they cannot be allowed to suffering. The terrible lung cases with with Russian military secrets. It was enter the market and bid against the their distressing breathing dificulties, the proved afterwards that the Russing board in a period of scarcity due, in, a horrible gas gangrene, the "pieds gelés * defeat in the Masurian Lakes was in large treasure, to their own methods of the scalp wounds, which, if neglected, reality his achievement. Colonel Min- wanton destruction. To permit that cause them to die next day, though renovedoff was in touch with the Russian would be to paralyse the board's efforts walk in with them as though there was reactionaries, who were annoyed with the The Germans, therefore, will have to nothing much the matter even the Grand Duke, who had caused him to be ordinary flesh wounds in peace-time we

a large number of other buyers who wish the spur of the moment, it is important to increase their orders. This phenothat the necessary arrangements should menon would naturally, in the ordinary be made and the necessary negotiations course of things, bring about such a entered into without loss of time. sudden call on freight-room and stocks as would send prices soaring to a height hitherto undreamed of by the greediest profiteer, and bring the wolf to the doors of all the well-to-do.

That is our problem; and it is not one of these problems which can safely be eft to be solved by the free play of conomic forces. Bo to leave it would

mmcrcial *** war after the war which

and content themselves with such por

Sometimes it is well to dwell on these however, the Russian Cabinet numbered

154]

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to inaugurate a new war: not, the come before the board as suppliants, should think badly enough of them sentenced to death. Even at that time. ne of our manufacturers favour, but tions of food as the board may decide things, not only out of sympathy, not men who were agairist pro-German in- sort of economic rough-and-tumble in dich we, and our present Allies, and note the point is more important to admiration that man can so endure. You shein and M. Sazonof. Several of these to allot them; and they must further only out of pity, but out of admiration-trigues. Amongst them were M. Krivo our present enemies, and the neutrals them than to anybody else that, what may say he has to. But if he couldn't Ministers signed a petition to the Em- should all be bidding against each other ever provision the board may eventually endure no man could make him. No one peror urging him to retain the Grand for a limited quantity of corn and meat, be able to make for thom, a considerable can make a man stand up or fire Chief. In consequence of this they were a rife Duke in his position of Commander-in- and batter, and cheese, and sugar, and time may elapse before it is able to make or obey if it is not in the Germans in particular, being the any provision worth speaking of. But these men let themselves be hewn all gradually dismissed. Reactionaries hungriest of the competitors, would offer The only considerable stocks of food and hacked as though they were not so using the influence of Rasputin, got more wealth beyond the dreams of avarice for in the world are those in Russia and much flesh and blood capable of suffering and more the upper hard and became the chance of cornering essential sup Australia; and the claims of Poland, the most exquisite torture and they bear provocative towards the Duma and the plies Indeed, there is some reason to Serbia, Belgium, and the North of their sufferings almost all of them with nation. They hated the very idea of believe that they are already trying to France to a share of these will naturally god-like fortitude.

Russia fighting a country whose system do this through their agents in neutral take procedence of the claims of Ger As an organisation the evacuating hos, the were applying at home, a country countries, and that some contracte have, many us will also those of such dis-pital is a triumph of French method. If with which they were connected by in fact, been signed.

tricts of the Central Empires as the you can imagine living in a desert where avmnethics, nay, often by ties of blood, Now this sort of thing will not do. Allies decide to annex. Moreover the even the water has to be brought along They made every endeavour to create The infallible consequences of such a delivery of the allotted portion will be a camel's back you get some idea of such a state of affairs in Russin that wild scramble would be: absurdly high difficult, and will involve delay. Russian the transport difficulties to be coped with it should be impossible to carry an the prices in the rich countries, and wide-rolling stock will be fully occupied in for use is one of the greatest difficulties,r. As the Germans could not reach

Although there is water everywhere, water aprend distress in the poor countries. distributing food throughout Russia, Timely measures need to be taken for and German rolling stock is not adepted Four thousand beds need a corresponding not make a separate neon with Germany Moscow or Petrograd the officials could. the prevention of such a state of things to the Russian gauge, Australia is far have to be catered for and fed and the ground that Russia was defeated

number of orderlies and nurses. These and those measures must be of two kinds off, and freight room will continue to be warmed he Therefore, absurd as it may be, they GRASSHOPPER

of There must be general measures designed scarce Ships will be wanted for de wounded the work is not only enormous tried to provoke a revolution. But ther to relieve the situation as a whole; and mobilisation; and German ships will not bat requires the cleatest mind and a large nor estimated the spirit of the people there must also be special measures ap-remain at the exclusive service of Ger- amount of knowledge The case of fire and they exaggerated their own power. plicable to the particular circumstances many. Many of them-probably most of has to be provided against; nurses and They did not expect such unanimity of the Central Empires.

them, and possibly all of them will be orderlics everyone have gas masks and between the nation and the Army. They INTERNATIONAL FOOD CONTROL, confiscated in compensation for the il- helmets in case of attack. The food has imagined that they could easily control | What the situation as a whole calls legal destruction of the ships of the to be for is the establishment of an Inter- Allies by German submarines, Bo let record has to be kept, both with a view THE NATION AROUND lover for

cooked

the excellent the situation, bring about a revolution, Of each wounded man an exact conclude one and suppress the people, national Board of Food Control, to, tide Germany he warned.

CulBotell as all over the difficult times. Its fune Lét formal notice be served on Ger to further treatment and in casa fb The nation, however, was too clever for tions should be to arrange by agreement many that, however severe the pinch, the inquiry about him. A letter signed them. Its leaders decided to revolt, not for the equitable distribution of the Allies can accept no responsibility for Pauvre jeune fille asks for detail of when it was convenient to officialdom but available supplies, and to keep prices the rapid re-victualling of the country the death of her fiancé, at a reasonable level by si dealong inte faced down, when it should suit the national purpose, over 15 million men had to abandon

to ut competition. It would be, in short, if the Germans wish to avoid famine in upon his grave on the hill. A mother decided in favour of prompt and vigorous They were certain of the Army, and they new kind of trust, intended to protect is imperative that they should surrender would know that her son received the last action. They were prepared for it care

some considerable time before their own suffer

Annthetauiries are stores of food are exhausted,

consumers Instead of enriching mono- nolista; and not only each of the Allied lligerenta. but also all the neutrals whose interests were affected. would be represented on the board, which would Lo empowered to cancel contracts as woll as to make them. And as such (Continued as foot of next column.)"

rites

and

mach did he

fully and thoroughly. In vein did of- but all of it, all the whole ficialdom attempt to deceive the people A notice of the kind was served on

organisation the Parisians by Bismarck towards the as it were out of nothing out of the the capital of a country that could feet sprung un, by treating unhearable conditions. In muddy builder's yard, with its hundred the whole of Europe there was no bread wooden sheds, out of the semi-circle on the The railways often brought luxuries in Soune where armies meet. II. H. in the tend of necessaries, through bribery by Mancheiter Guardian.

Se (Continued at food of next misimm )...!

end of the siege. It is a precedent bound to commend respect in Germany, and might therefore advantageously be cited in the notice Daily Chronicle,

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this all. The pro-German intrigues were hundreds of miles to the enemy. Nor is carried on almost openly. The enemy wad beginning to write about Russia with disdain and the Allig tried to hide the could stand such a state of things no truth. The patriotic Russian people longer. They now mean to fight to the end, to combine all their forces to achieve victory over the ancient enemy Đổ Flavdom.

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[688

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