STARVATION IN THE CENTRAL EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 51, 24 November 1919, Page 4

STARVATION IN THE CENTRAL EMPIRE

A terrible description of the conditions existing and developing in Germany is given by the party of Friends who went across to Germany two or threo days after tho signing of peace, an<l who have just returned to England. Among other places, they visited Berlin, Frankfort, Wursshurff. Stuttgart, tlie : . Erzebirge, and tho Ruhr district. They had ample facilities for making investigations, and collected mosses of documentary information. These, the first ot the Friends to visit. Germany since the war, were. Miss Marion Fox, Miss Joan Fry, nud Mr. Elliott, all representing the Friends' Enwrgfincy and War Victims' Relief Committee, and they were necompanied by Miss Jane Addnms and Dr. Alice Hamilton, of America, and Dr. Alletta Jacob.;, the well-known Dutch publicist. At tho headquarters of tho Emergency Committee the three Friends gave, a representative of the "Manchester Guardian" n summary of their impressions.

They found that, bad ns tilings were at the tiinn of the armistice, they hnd become infinitely, worse during the eight months of the blockade, and that the effects of the blockade inust go on Retting worse for years to coinu; The doctors said that the health of the people had been so seriously affected, they were so extraordinarily emaciated, that this winter was poinsr to be the worst (hey had ever had. The blockade hnd been so effective that it; was extremely difficult to end it, and Germany is still to a great extent a beleaguered country. It was not in the streets that one saw tho real misery. There was a [?ond dcn.l of pniety. tho'reikless gaiety of despair. Food is to be had in hotels and restaurants if people will pay the price, and the rich people can always cet food. The hospitals suffer eovvrriy. In ono which they visited thoy «aw the forty pounds of meat which was supplied three times a week for the patients and stuff, who numbered twr>. thousrind. When the patients liad had a midday meal of c oup and. vegetables they pot, no more that day. Only skimmed milk i? to bo had, and that is only supplied for children under six years of apn. Well prepared n* iVey wore for the siprlit of emaciated children, they.found tho actual sight unbearable, and the ininreSf.ion deepened ns'tlioy visited institution after institution where t.hpro wore thon Pind? of child victims. The two women doctors said tliey hid never, seen such enses of rickofe. There were number of ciiildrcn beliveen the arw of two and seven venrs who wnud never be nblo to walk•'"children with sa>vera'. «f their ribs or the 'bones of .their arms or 1<»~ broken by rickets; thousands of rliildren who will never be more lhan dwnrfa. The cuimilatiw effect of venrs of privation has told on Hie mothers, who.denied themselves food that their children might have it Goin" through Hip hospitals, they .realised'what it'meant to tho doctors h'av to trcit <=nch cliildren under such conditions, mipli a lack of the ntwsary supplies. Tlwo is even a W'nroily pthe paper nnnkin? that the n-others liave tn'iisc for their bahios. Tlitp ,irp ointments for tho babies' din fed. tender skin.. Germany had before the winbegun to stamp out tuberculosis, and now tuberculosis is a scourge. Heels »f r.ottnn and dnrning wool an: rationed. If tho nuinhev of peonle in one house does not entitle them to. a supply, they have to share with the people next door. Stockings. are sold in sections. The Friends have brought bnck ninonff their exhibits Rtoeking-feet made of some wood fibre, children's nocks of a hard and chilly cotton, and soap made .of clay. The people in flic slrcels looked neat; those who cannot nfford to dress respectably stnv at. home, and they keep Hie ailing children indoors. The peneral aspect of tli<? iii'Oiilp wns intensely depressed and discotirnqod. They wore astounded at any friendliness shown to them.