THE GERMANS AT HOME.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 217, 13 October 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GERMANS AT HOME.

SOME DISCOMFORTS OF WAR (By RUTLEDGE RUTHERFORD) BERLIN. "Preussen hat sieh grossgehungert" (Prussia has become great through hunger). This is an old maxim to which Prussians have recourse m pinching times like these. . A degree of consolation :s found in quoting it when the family sit down to the scanty meal of to-day. They like to talk of how the Prussian has become hard as adamant through trials asd privation, while the Englishman has grown effiminato through ease and luxury. Therefore the Prussian ia beginning to take a certain pride in his stinted rations of watery food. The authorities encourage this and are making a systematic effort to accustom the people to selfdenial.

Many contradictory reports you will hoar, but there is no denying that the food scarcity in Germany is real and serious. I know of families who have left the country, asserting that they could not get enough to eat. The soldiers and sailors are well fed, but even among these there is much dissatisfaction because of the letters of complaint coming ftoru mothers, wives, and childres at home. Germany, the original pure food land, the first to place the ban on chemical preservatives and substitutes, is now resorting to all kinds of c'nemicalised foods, and actually advising housewives to employ chemicals in putting up jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, and sausage meats. Only a half-pound of sugar per week is allowed, but at meal time you will see men pulling from their warotcoat pockets little vials of saccharine, a minute tablet of which, jless than the smallest pill, is sufficient to sweeten one's coffee or tea. Saccharine is 550 times as sweet as sugar. That is. one pound of saccharine is equivalent as a sweetening agent to 550 pounds of sugar. Saccharine bowls are now being possed at some cafes and restaurants Glucose, obtainable, is used for candy making and preserving. Milk is preserved with the embalming fluid, formaldenyde, 'onre prohibited as a poison. Benzoate of soda and benzoic acid are used in great quantities both in homes and factories. Germany's beer no longer can boast of its purity. It is not now made entirely of barley malt and hope, but of various substitutes preserved with salicylic acid and benzoate of soda. Sulphuric acid and salicylic acid are used promiscuously in wine making, and extensive use is being made of hydrofluoric acid and various ethereal flavours, all of which were formerly prohibited.

THE NUTRITION OFFICE. In fact, the German Government seems at its wits' end to provide enough for the paople to eat. Purity scruples have been cast to the winds. Every kind of factory refuse, herb, root, and by-product that can be converted into human sustenance, is doped with chemicals and put on tlie market. Evory conservation scheme that experts' can think of is being |csted and some have proved very disastrous and wasteful. Next to the Kaiser, Herr von Batocki, President of the War Nutrition Office, is looked upon as the nation's most important official Herr Batocki accepted It's office on the distinct understanding that he might also retain his office of Governor of the province of East Prussia. But he found the task of bringing order out of the food chaos so arduous that he has just resigned the Governorship on his own accord, and Herr von Berg has been appointed ni his place The food officer has been having his own troubles since ho accepted the co-oper-ation of a committee of women to assist him in manipulating the food situation. He promised the women that lie would be governed by their advice,but he found that each of them had a different idea, and that when he gave more consideration to one than to .inother it was the occasion of serious antagonism. Then several of the women thought they ought to have powers almost equal to Batocki's. The trouble ended by Batocki's asserting his ruthoritv and "going lit alone." To mak.> sine of his right he has de minded and lias been vested with powers of compulsion. Even the State Executives must surrender their authority to him mi any matter of food supply. He is it:powered to punish exploiters, and his access to the Imperial funds in making grant? to local bodies. But Batocki's path is not strew.i with roses. He has practically pti* the whole nafior. on a rations basis, *yet the conditions are very different in different sections and among different classes. Hs is charged with showing favouritism and unfairness. The Socialists rightfully protest that, winkdainties have not y,ot disappeared from tho tallies of tlie rich, bread itself is wanting on the tables of the poor.

CARDS FOR EVERYTHING. Wages are high, from 5 to 10 marks a. day being paid for common labour, but they are insufficient to feed the family, and jnfringements are severely punished. Mass feeding in public places very much along the lines enforced in Spata during the days of Lycnrgus, prevails in an increasing number <f towns and cities. There are cards for everything. In homes they are amalgamated into a kind of combination card calling for eleven different food products, each represented by a number and small square. They are potatoes, rice, sugar, bread, meat, coffee, butter, fat, soap, Hour, and legumes (beans, peas, and lentils). Bread, meat, and potato cards may also .'>o used for other products. On the brea 1 card one may get a piece of soap at the end of the month, or a couple or eggs once a week. Food-Officer Batocki has just issued an order prohibiting the eating of eggs for breakfast, on penalty of 2-100 dollars fine (£500). The local authorities all over Germany des'gnatc the hours at which eggs may b<> served. Public-eating houses are forbidden to serve eggs in any form except at the lunch and dinner hours. Soap cards are KMied since Augint Ist. This limits the per capita supply per month to 50 grams of toilet soai) and 250 grams of soap powder. Supplementary cards have been issued to chimney sweeps, miners, physicians, andlabourers, allowing them greater i quantities. The maximum price of toi- I le, soip lias be. n fixed at 50:20 pl'e.i- > nigs for 50 grams, and soap powder pf. ;.'() for ;'SO grams. ('.'■j'lies ( ;i:-i|. were issued on August ; Ist. They are similar to the broad ti ■- I ket>, and limit the amount o! clothing ; a per=on may buy per mouth. An •' i person has to prove he or she is : n i in I'd r,f an article of clothing luf'i. -< it can be purchased. There i- a gr« ■■ | sc-i-city of loUou goods, i ml pp. .-■ ' are verv high. I paid .2 vmrks for a shi't. niv' 1 I marl- 50 pf. for a eoll.r. j Cic i roth s ;>;> wry ox pen ive own. j to the new i'.ei- lay =. Tic price has ins( doubled. (H- iiv f l.n X -vd ! soon. Matches !.■■ c •-.. , .■.-,. i-onl j pru-o. It's a wise wile who laughs at hor ' husband's chestnuts.