WAR'S TERRIBLE REALITIES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16261, 11 July 1918, Page 7

WAR'S TERRIBLE REALITIES.

BRITAIN'S SACRIFICES.

OVERSEA VISITORS'"ASTONISH-

ING IMPRESSION."

(•'Sydney Sun" Screico.)

LONDON, Juno 30.

The Australian delegates, in the course of conversation, stated that _ a fortnight's intimate study of the problems of the war and residenco amongst a people who seem to bo 90 per cent, war-workers have given them a new and astonishing impression of the vastness of Britain's efforts and sufferings.

Mr Hughes maintains that even the appearance of Britain has changed in six months. The cities aro emptier, and a largo percentage of those seon in the streets aro uniformed and gaitered. The Bmocked girl landworker strides alongside her sister, who is a trousered munition-worker, nil banishing what would before the war have been regarded as proper modesty in costume, becauso women s war worfc requires doing. Mr Hughes was impressed with tho sober earnestness of the cities and the ind'jstnousness of country districts, where ho has seen schoolboys organised into teams to help with tho farm work. Old and young are in the field { making Britain richer in productiveness than ever before.

Mr Hughes remarks: "The length of tho British casualty lists and the extent of mourning amongst workers, which is being added to bv every report, has convinced mo that they remain resolute and confident, and are prepared for further sacrifices."

Mr-Cook said that he was astonished when ia Lancashire at the numbers of bereaved families. A neighbour of his sister's had just lost five, including her Inst son, wno was battalion commander and a double D.S.O. Leave was telegraphed to the front to him when his fourth brother was killed, but instead he led liis men into action and was shot.

_ Mr Cook bought a basket of cherries, and opened his eyes when he was charged half-a-crown a pound. "Everyone I meet," he says, "gives mo some sort of evidence that he is thinner than a j car ago. The people look well, but there is no doubt that fatty luxuries are unobtainable. Tho whole nation has been rationed in a way that Australia can't imagine." Sir Robert Garran expressed himself as impressed with the buoyancy of the spirit of the people despite their sufferings. Gay . crowds at the theatres were engaged giving soldiers on furlough a good time, but the lights A dis-r appear at an early hour, and the city becomes empfor and dark before 11 o clock. He adds: "The war. at this distance is a terrible reality, full of ominous possibilities and wide hardship, .jet there seems a general and tacit understanding that the armies leaving for the front, and indeed the dead soldiers, would desire a confident cheenness which their anxions kinspeople do the best outwardly to maintain;"

MOST CRITICAL PERIOD. The delegates' impressions aro borne out by tho tacts that are leaking- out concerning the food situation. it is olacialiy admitted that the position during tlie first months of the year was extremely critical. • The country was consuming 460,000 tons of food a month above tne margin of safety. Tins was partly owing to tho shortage of supplies from America, and also to severe snowstorms, preventing shipment. Tho ports becamo congested with shipping awaiting the arrival of snowod-up-trainloods.. "The 'limes" atates that the efficient feeding of the Allies 'trembled 'in- thai scales. Australasian meat, wheat, and butter might as well have not existed, because tiie only hopo was the restriction of shipping to the shortest routes. A seVere system of rationing was'introduced, but Lord llhondda, the Food Controller, did not know wherei he would get the limited rations. He ordered compulsory milling to the extreme limit, and everybody felt the scarcity, but few know of the actual acuteness and difficulties of the position.

instead of an expected 1,100.000 tons of broadstuffs from America m January only' 680,000 arrived; instead of CO,OOO tons of baoon only 11,000 came to ' hand. The reserves dwindled and vanished. An improvement began in April, when, largely owing to Lord Northcliff o'b railway policy and Mr Hoover's ■ voluntary wheatless campaign in America, supplies increased. ' Tiie outstanding fact in the emergency relief has been' the groat shipments of American bacon and ham?, which have been pouring into the country in enormous quantities. The situation has been so relieved 'that everybody is able to buy. cheap pork, tongues, and sausages without coupons, and also frequently chickenß, which drug tho market. The bread is still dark brown and difficult to digest, but there is no peed to-day for serious Buffering. Nearly all the fruit crops are' being seized for making jam tor the army. Strawberries are purchasable only on Saturdays. Similarly, sugar is dear, and tobacco is scarce and high priced. The police are preventing the nso of motor-cars for non-war purposes. Society women and others. have;.alrcady been heavily fined as a warning. British people before the war did not imagine that such restrictions were possible., but an oquality of distribution seems to have removed the sense, o£ hardship. The mflst difficult test of the moral of the people remains in the .breaking up iof linndredß of homes weekly for the army, and the consequent collapse of businesses, restriction of incomes, and the anxiety of wives and children; Nevertheless a game spirit prevails, and there is a singular lack of depression. The extent of food purchases abroad is indicated by the fact that the wheat executive spent. £376,000,000 in 20 months on cereals in America and the Argentine.