AUSTRO-GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1916, Page 5

AUSTRO-GERMANY.

FOOD SHORTAGE AND MAKESHIFTS* AUSTRIANS A DRAG. AN OIL FAMINE. Received .Oct. 11, 11.4.j p.m. London, Oct. 11. 111'. Curtin, the American journalist, writing' in the Daily Mail on the food situation in Germany, says that Austrottungary is butterless, but there is war bread, and aeorn coffee, sweetened with saccharine in a form that is nauseating it breakfasts. There is no visible leficiency of food for the army and navy on active service, but thi reserves and Landsturmers go very short. An eminent German chemist told Mr. Durtin that the three prime difficulties were (1) The necessity ot propping up the wretched Austrians with a stiffening of Prussians and Bavarians; (2) the absence of heavy Chilian nitrates essential for productivity of the farms, fhe nitrates extracted from air served well in 1910, because it was a lamp year, but the absence of imported fertilisers means the steady decrease of sugar and other staple products. Lastly, the oil difficulty, which was almost insuperable. Many thousands of acres had been sown with sunflowers and poppies, but only small results were obtained. Mr. Curtin adds: Personally I lost ten pounds in weight in the last three months. The theatres and music halls are well attended, horse racing is steadily maintained, and munition workers are squandering money in diamond; and pearls, which have never been so freely bought before. . • • " na : NOT SERIOUS, BUT UNCOMFORTABLE. Received Oct. 11, S p.m. London, Oct. 11. Mr, Curtin goes on to state that the German food problem is not serious but extremely uncomfortable. Some importations are plentiful, particularly chocolate,' Dutch cheese, and Scotch whisky. There are plenty of sardines and Baltic fish.. Freak foods include seal meal and polar bear. The lack of fat and oil is the greatest problem, despite various substitutes, such as sunflower and sardine: oils. The whole nation is growing tjiinner. Food gifts are now'' the best! presents between friends. The increasing theft of food tickets Indicates the growing acuteness of the problem. THE GERMAN WOUNDED. iN AMERICAN'S STORY, Times Service. London, Oct. 10. Mr. Curtin, the American, continuing the account of his experiences during his Visit to Germany, says that the police cleared the streets when the wounded Prussian Guards arrived at Potsdam. By a subterfuge Mr. Curtin witnessed successive trainloads, with nearly 70fl wounded in each, evacuated into lons rows of mammoth vans and other vehicles. There were endless tiers oi stretchers and a small army of doctors and nurses. Many of the sufferers were horribly maimed and battered. These were the remnant of the five reserve regiments which nvere smashed up with enormous losses when endeavoring to retake Contalmaison from the British. On subsequent days there were more trainloads, a large proportion or them permanent invalids or cripples. Several vehicles were filled with the corpses oi men who had expired on the journey. Mr. Curtin says that the terrible sight will never pass from his memory. It gives the He to the German official assertion that 90 per cent, of the wounded return to the firing line. The most impressive feature was the ghastly hopelessness on the white faces of the wounded, plainly revealing that the men knew Germany's fighting machine had met with a superior force when it was vanquished by an army oi mere sportsmen. The Prussian Guards were flung into Contalmaison, because it 'was "a vital point in the defences of Bapaume and Peronne. The wounded say that the Guards, although heavily reinforced, were twice driven back after the bloodiest hand-to-hand encounters. ANOTHER WAR CREDIT. A PRAYER FOR PEACE. Received Oct, 11, 10 p.m. Amsterdam, Oct. x.. The Koelnische Volkzeitung .states that .lie Government will ask the Reichstag for a war credit of twelve thousand million marks. Replying to the Kaiser's congratulations on the twenty-fifth anniversary oi the accession, the King of W urtemburjj said: "May God grant us a, speedy and honorable peace." OFFICI AL REPORT. London, Oct. 10. A German communique says: Stronj night attacks between the Ancre anci the Somme were all fruitless. North-west of Lutsk we drove out tin Russians from an advanced position. W< captured the exit from the Hargittu Carola mountains into the uppei and lower Osikalt valley. As a result of three days' battle at Brasst we took 1175 prisoners. AVe capturei the mountain west of the Vulcan Pass The enemy achieved small results easl of the Monastir-Florina railway,