GERMANY'S FOOD SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 135, 3 March 1919, Page 4

GERMANY'S FOOD SHORTAGE

« HUN PROFITEERS DUTIES OF THE NEW ZEALAND TROOPS (Special from the New Zealand Officio! War Correspondent.) Cologne, February 25. In addition to the ordinary military dutios concerned with demobilisation and the formation of strong points on the boundary of the neutral zone, our dwindling division is mainly occupied with education and certain administrative duties in the occupied area. The Cornmaudant is the Divisional General, and under him there are three officers, actin« as sub-area commanders. At present one of the main considerations is the supply oPfood to the civil population. Our zone is mainly an industrial one, set in a district of inodery ate agricultural and pastoral capacity Factories have had to dispense with thousands of workmen, owing to the (scarcity of raw material and the lack of markets. Undoubtedly the food shortage is becoming serious, and but lor the presence of our force there would be considerable unrest and even Bolshevism. This is fully realised by. the < manufacturers. As one of the pnnci- f pal industrialists put it, "I realise that if the New Zealanders were not here i would not be here." • The burgomasters state that people in. poor circumstances are suffering m health from want of nourishment, and these number over 10,000. There are in nddi-J tion 54,000 who are willing to pay for a grant of army rations, which is equal to one soldier's ration to four people-. There are in addition 400 Allies and neutrals, mostly Italians, who need assistance. In one of the sub-areas there are, 3000 children suffering from lack of pro? per nourishment. The position is complicated by the hoarding and- sale of food to people who can afford to pay for it. . ~ • Undoubtedly the German organisation , of rationing has not been effective, and ; a large percentage of the civilian popu-, lation have not played the game as the.' British have'played it in their own country. Nearly 90. per cent, of the people are concerned in the Schleichsandel system, and the German Government is reluctant or afraid to interfere. _ The only remedy appears to be requisitioning and entire control by the occupying armies. In ono sub-area, with a population .of twelve thousand, the deaths have increased from 140 in 1914 to 300 in 1918. The weekly ration is at present as fol- . lows—Potatoes, Sib.; flesh, s}oz.; fat, ' loz.; bread, 41b. Milk is available.only in small quantities for children a™ the sick. One has only to look at the child- ' ren to conclude that Germany will feel thrt effects of this malnutrition for at least another twenty years. In some parts milch cows have been killed to supply meat. The situation as regards meat; has, however, been some r what relieved by the sale of our useless horses. Four hundred horses of the New Zealand Division have already been sold for slaughtering, at prices ranging from .615 to ,£2O each. The potato shortage; is serious, and the supplies will not last bevond the middle of next month. AM ready the civilians from one town in ouv area are making raids on the potato pits in another part of the area.