THE REAL GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1916, Page 7

THE REAL GERMANY.

CONDITIONS OF TO-DAY. SPECIAL OBSERVER'S ACCOUNT. PREPARED TO FIGHT ANOTHER WINTER. EXPECTATION OF A GOOD HARVEST. (Part III.)

I have tried to make it clear that severe military defeat and the cutting of German communications with the East can alone undermine and destroy the foundations of German confidence. Economic pressure by itself is 'Unlikely ever to bring Germany to her knees as long as she retains her presenft sources of supply. But it would be foolish to under-estimate the importance of the economic pressure. Given military defeat or the cutting of the Eastern communications or both, the privations which the German people have endured would hasten the collapse of their resistance. The broad facts of the economic situation in Germany seem to bo accurately appreciated in England, but there appears to be a tendency—it is perhaps natural—to over-estimate the present effect upon public opinion of increasing privations. So far as I can .judge, the .morale of Germany has thus far adapted itself pretty thoroughly to all dilliculties which have yet arisen. The public generally is prepared for the possibility of another winter of war. .Almost any German now says, in reply to a qnestion as to how long he thinks the war will last, "I am afraid tlntt we shall have to stand another winter." He almost always puts it just like that —"I am afraid we shall have to." What sustains the ordinary public is the constant assurance that, however hard !we may ;be, all the difficulties are only temporary. It is still almost universally believed that victories, and more victories, ■will end in a German peace, and that then all the present troubles will be at an end.

At the .present (moment the worst difficulties are regarded as temporary in an even narrower sense. Everybody, that is to say, is looking for great relief of economic tension as soon as the harvest is got in. As far as t'he ocular evidence of an ordinary traveller can go, I must confirm the official assurances that the harvest is likely to be a very good one. The crops at present look splendid. In this connection it should be understood that one of the chief objects of the Government in the control of the food supply is to regulate consumption—not merely to restrict it as much as possible. LOOKING AHEAD. '

It will have been noticed that the food difficulties in Germany seemed suddenly to increase in the month of October last year—just at the moment when improvement was expected on the completion of the getting in of the harvest. That really meant, although the Government was careful not to say so at the time, that the harvest was a bad one. This year every effort will undoubtedly be made to increase rations after the harvest. That would probably be done tn some extent even if harvest expectations were not realised, because so many promises have been made that they cannot safely be disappointed. But the main point is that the German Government is always looking ahead. Every arrangement has been made this year for a particularly accurate estimate of the harvest. Precise instruction* iveer issued to all landowners many iweeks ago, and the census taking began on June 1. The official census will take place at various dates for various crops, beginning with corn in July and ending with .potatoes and beet in September. The increase in the area under crops since the beginning of the war is astonishing. What is most noticeable to the ordinary eye is the increase of the area devoted to potatoes.

There is no doubt whatever that life in Germany is now very hard. When one 'has had personal experience of the utter inadequacy cf the tread and other rations, it is difficult to understand how the great mass of the people, especially in towns, exist upon them. In the country, at any rate, one usually finds, on investigating an individual case, that, means are found to supplement the rations in a variety of ways—not all of them honest. Farm servants, for example, help themselves to an increasing extent, and by no means all of the food that leaves shops roaches the customers. As the list of foods under Government control increases, the privations of the individual naturally increase also. The strict control of the meat supply was a radical change, and it is obvious that the institution of egg tickets will seriously restrict the consumption of what has been a most popular supplement to other rations. A DRAUGHT OF HERRINGS.

More potatoes than ever are now being eaten in Germany, but the most favorable development of late lias been an abundance of herrings. They suddenly made their appearance in large quanti ties about three months ago. I' do not, know where they really Cjiue from, but they are always called 'Xorth Sea 'herrings," and the public is gratified by tlieir name as well as by their excellent quality. The food control involves an enormous amount of work, and everywhere the small officials of all kinds have to work very long hours without any addition to their pay. As the ordinary food ticket system provides only for the ordinary consumption of food at home, there has to be incessant communication with the local officials, in order that people shall be able to get meals as they move about. For the purposes of the shortest journey it is necessary to obtain a socalled "LandkiU'te," or travelling ticket. For very short periods these travelling tickets are provided in addition to the ordinary food tickets, so that people who are accustomed to make frequent journeys are a little better oil' than people who always stay at home. But in the case of any considerable journey the rations are adjusted. One of the most striking changes in German life is the rapid increase in the number of women employed in work of al! kinds. This applies especially to factory work, and many factories are now entirely dependent upon women's labor. But the movement goes much farther than that, and it seems to me to be less due to patriotism than to necessity. It will bo -remembered that the Germans at the beginning of the war made an immense virtue of the fact that they introduced no general "moratorium." One never hears such boasts now. The truth is that .people now do not make any payments that they can avoid. Theoretically, tenants are expected to pay rent

if t'hey are able to do so, but in practice very little rout is being paid at present. Xor are .people any longer paying the interest on mortgages, and anybody who knows to what length* the mortgage system 'lias been carried in Germany in recent years will understand what that means. Speaking generally, small German capitalists who own'a few houses and live on the rent are now in a very biid way, and their daughters are compelled to take the best work t'hey can get. The call on female labor seems to be still growing rapidly. German life lias become more "homely'' than ever, and Hie average country town U duller Mian ever it ■wis. Apart from the absence of most of the men, people, are much loss regular than usual in their attendance at the cafes and beerhouses—for one reason, because of tlie increasing shortage of beer. The general public are not now deeplv impressed by the enormous German casualties. For the most part they really have no idea. What the German losses have been. Xot only is n0 information ever published as to the total losses, but the fate of individual soldiers is concealed as much as possible. An anxious relative in a German village 'has no nouree of information other than the local ofiicials. A mother who has for a. lon« time had no news of her son will pro" bably go to the Burgomaster's ofiice. At lirst she wjll near nothing. Then she will be told that her son is wounded Then she will hear that he is dead—tins, perhaps, three or four months after the soldier's death.

Jrom what I have said, it is clear that tliat German peOiple are living- in an artificial atmosphere. The truth is unknown to them until it breaks through the German lines in the rear of the Allied forces. It is important for the Allied peoples and their Governments to bear this steadily in mind and not to imagine that, because this or that event strikes .them in a. certain way, it will therefore strike, the German people in the same may. If I might summarisethe impressions I have tried to convey I should say:— , ; -j.. I

(1) No effort should be spared to obtain complete military victory in West and East. (2) The importance of cutting the German road to the East as quickly ■as possible should never be forgotten.

(3) Economic pressure should be increased in every possible way.

With the3e three factors working together the Allies will be able to obtain the complete triumph which alone can teach Germany her true place in the world.