The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, MAY 7, 1917. THE MOST DREADED FOE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 7 May 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, MAY 7, 1917. THE MOST DREADED FOE.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News),

A reliable, loyal, leading American newspaper, the New York Times, in summing up a long article on the food question, states: “The war may now be regarded as a contest between Germany and Great Britain to starve one another by their respective blockades into accepting peace.” The endeavour in this country to induce our farmers to grow wheat, and the compulsory measures adopted in England to the same end lends rather startling corroboration to the American newspaper’s views. We have little sympathy with 'such arguments as our Minister of Agriculture used to a body of farmers a few days ago, when he told them that they scarcely knew a war was being waged; that they had felt none of the privations, inconveniences and want that was being experienced in England. If there is plenty of food here why should we unnecesarily suffer privations, but if there is anything in what the New York Times states then we ought to be told the truth. More than that, if those on the land then refuse to grow wheat the land should be commandeered for the purpose as it is in England. New Zealand is equally iespcnsible with all other parts of the Empire for winning the war; if wheat will win the war then we must, with our British brother-farmers, grow wheat. It is a notable fact that the only country on the Entente side to suffer from food shortage is Britain; ivcn neutrals have suffered to a far

greater extent than France. If it is a starvation contest the war is narrow-

ed down to one of Britain versus the Central Alliance. B'ritain seems to have fully realised this, for the Government may not only seize any cultivable land but may also take posession of all needed buildings, machinery, implements and stock. It is not very likely that any British farmer will make it necessary for extreme measures being taken, but that is the law. We know why Germany is suffering starvation, and we know that a similar cause may involve our Island Home—God’s Own Country—in that most dreaded of all afflictions, famine. Germany tried controlling, fixing prices, issuing food cards, but ultimately found that without the food nothing might as well have been done. Britain is benefiting by German ex- 1 perience and is paying more atten- j tion to grow than regulating, recognising that if the food is present, regulating markets is of very secondary importance. At the beginning of 1 this year Batocke, the German Food Controller, admitted Germany’s failure in these words: “Fixing maximum prices is a failure. The attempts to make foodstuffs accessible to the poorer classes by means of maximum 'prices have collapsed. Maximum prices without simultaneous public administration of supplies only keeps produce away from industrial centres and leaves it in the neighbourhood where it is produced. It was at last seen that high prices, however great the hardships they inflict, prevent waste and encourage production, while the attempt to keep prices down by law induces over-consumption and discourages production.” Herr Batocke has realised after fatal failure that even the Hun superman is not superior to the laws of supply and demand. Had Germany taken the course from the commencement of war that Britain is taking on the first indications of bread shortage, the British Navy would have been powerless to starve the German people and armies. It is remarkable that it was the agrarian interests that rendered Batocke’s efforts of no avail. Britain* says agrarian interests must be commandeered for the benefit of the

State, if necessary, to win the war, and laws were enacted accordingly. If the submarine trouble is not checked and beaten New Zealand farmers will find themselves subjected to Jaws similar to those in force in Britain. It seems from present available evidence that it is a war of starvation between Britain and Germany, in which New Zealand will be called -its-partr ~' TO * "wm the war wheat is wanted, and we must grow wh'feat;' it ‘is little advantage to fix*?the"price' of wheat while there is no i, whegt. : tosell.. .There has been no occasion for suffering extreme privation in a general way in this country in the past, and there will be no occasion to do so in the future if farmers will grow wheat. New Zealand farmers, unlike German farmers, have been loyal to an extreme; there has been no occasion to say to them what the Head of the German Trade Union said to German producers, namely, “There must be a sharper ■grip, on those circles which do not understand the times and which selfishly hold back the necessary food from the ppople and so injure the nation.” This represented, without doubt, the condition to a great extent, but the holding back, equally undoubtable, was the result of depleted supplies through the failure to grow wheat. We are calling out for lower-priced bread, but prices cannot be fixed by' our Pood Board below a certain level because we have not the wheat to ■warrant it. B'ut infinitely worse is the stage to follow dear bread is that of no bread at all. Well-grounded fears of famine are troubling our political leaders, and they are offering all reasonable inducements to farmers to do that which will avert that most dreaded foe’s invaders, and bring the end of the war very appreciably nearer. If the advance the Government has made is unheeded, then there 'must either come a collapse of the submarine blockade or farmers will have their land, their buildings, implements and stock commandeered so that the nation may not die of famine. At present, the possibilities even of Germany starving Britain are not in sight, while it is authoritatively admitted by Germans that there is not half enough food for the people’s need at present, and that before next harvest there will be no food at all. They urge that Germany must raid Denmark or Holland, or both, to get the necessary bread and mmt to keep | the German Empire’s and soul together. Britain has taken the step in time to avert any such disaster falling upon her people, will New Zealand take the cue from Britain?