FOOD SHORTAGE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 268, 20 April 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

FOOD SHORTAGE.

The question of food shortage is becoming more pressing in almost all of the belligerent countries, and the statements recently made in the House of Commons' show thr.t the outlook in England is- far from satisfactory, despite the fact that there is less, scarcity there than iii any of the othej nations engaged in the war. As far as Germany is concerned, it was recognised long ago that the authorities there permitted and encouraged the d ; ssemination of deliberately misleading reports regarding food shortage in the Central Empires. It was, therefore, impossible to attach much significance to the sordid descriptions which were passed by the censor of hunger and suffering amongst the civilian population in Germany and AustriaHungary. It is now clear, however, that serioix shortage docs exist. A contributor to the "Times," who is only known cr, the "Neutral," recently succeeded in passing on to that paper some "uncensored" communications, which were the first cf his articles to reach the outer world for some months. The writer is one of those people who, for reasons rr. mtionel above, have frequently raised a warning voice against over-estimat'ng the seriousness of the economic situation in-Germany; "but,"' he adds, "there docs not seem to be much need for warning now." A passago in his second article is of special interest, in view of the statement attributed to the Gernan Imperial Treasurer :n the Rome message' published recently. "The problem that is worrying the German Administration," wrote this "Neutral" m Cologne on January 12th last, "is: How can German exist until the next harvest? Everybody is now counting on the early vegetables, and it must be remembered in regard to this that that it is only of recent years that tho Germans generally took to their heavy meat diet. In my judgment. ... the whole question of the ability of Germany to 'hold out'—to use the expression which h still in every German mouth—lis the question whether the Germans c:.n 'jve on these vegetables, together with such supplies of meat, game, freshwater fisli, ?nd imported fish as will be available, until the end of August."