THROUGH GERMAN SPECTACLES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12539, 10 May 1915, Page 2

THROUGH GERMAN SPECTACLES.

TRAGIC DENUNCIATION OF THE HOT ROLL.

"ARE WE MEN OR DROVES OF

CATTLE " The food question continues to occupy so large a share of the attention of the German Press as to suggest that the nation as a whole is fiercely antagonistic to the wransels of economy which have been circulated by the Government. ' Through the Berliner Tageblatt, the director of the Kiel Marine Institute issues what is truly described as a "fiery exhortation" to the people on the necessity of husbanding bread supplies : I "We more than sixty million Germans, whose brothers and fathers lay down their lives for us. have we realised our responsibilities? No! and No again! "Have we reverence and veneration for every piece of bread that comes under'our eyes? A glance in the dustbins outside our doors teaches ns that .\v'e are shameless enough to throw away disdainfully bread which has become dry, as if.'it did not also belong to ' our daily bread.' "Have we reduced our consumption of rolls? Some one here and there, perhaps, but generally speaking No! "Our breakfast-table shows us that 'we ■act as thoughtlessly as if the whole wheat supply of the world were stored for our disposal in the holds of the Hamburg-American or North German Lloyd ships. "A remarkable feature is the consumption of cakes. One notices no signs of a. voluntary reduction in the demand for cakes. The windows of our confectioners ridicule any responsibility? The cafes are filled to overI flowing, and Christmas and the New 1 Year saw mountains of cakes.

"Are we mon. a' rational people, realising the seriousness of these terriVle times, or are we droves of cattle with no other care than that of the stomach?

"Let us impress indelibly on our own minds and. on those of our children and guests: 'Take care of bread as if it were holy! Do not squander even a crumb of this precious gift of God! Eat only that bread which it is becoming to eat in these times, Tv bread.'

"Do not regard the potato as a valueless food, because it will make itpossible for us to hold out. "And, before everything, blush with shame if the love" of enjoyment drives you to eat cakes and tarts. "As regards potatoes, Berlin has already taken matters into into own hands by the establishment of municipal potato depots." PROFESSORS ON THE CASE.

Though he. does not reach the tragic depths "sounded by the director of the Kiel Marine Institute in his denunciation of the iniquity of the breakfast roll and the depravity of cakes and tarts, Professor Eltzbaeher. rector of the Berlin Commercial High School, has produced and edited a ponderousvolume on the perils of the situation. The Kolnische Zeitung reviews the book at tremendous length and with great zest: — "Unless we assure ourselves of proper food supplies, all the bravery of our troops in the field will not save us from the discomforts of defeat. "It is a question which affects every man and eevry woman, and we therefore welcome "the appearance of this book, to which sixteen known and respected professors and experts contribute. "Germany is an isolated territory from the economic point of view, and we must reckon on English tenacity to carry on the war as long as possible. We have, therefore, to consider the question. 'How can German exist as an isolated economic State ?' "The more we read of this book the more satisfied do we feel that the economic condition of Germany is becoming acute." THE ONLY REMEDY.

In the Tagliche Rundschau this same learned professor urges the necessity of increasing all food prices, and especially that of wheat, without a moment's delay : 'The present low figure endangers the popular food supply, for it stimulates the export of wheat- to other countries, sucli as Austria; it increases th* risk of the excessive u&e of wheat; it precludes the user from regulating kis bread consumption according to the state of affairs and from husbanding wheat- supplies. "By the existing low maximum price, an injustice has also been done to the poor, for they become deluded with the belief that war time is not much worse than any other time, and so waste their food. "To get to the root- of the evil, there is but one remedy, namely, a considerable raising of the maximum prices." A DOUBTING CRITIC.

Notwithstanding all this, however, the Rundsehau dares to deprecate any interference with the bakeries: "The law prohibiting the baking of bread at night will have the effect, frem January 15. of reducing Berlin's daily bread supplies by several hundredweights. ''Taking the population, as two million and the consumption as only half a pound of rye brea<l per head, we arrive at a daily total output of one

million pounds. "Of this quantity about half is produced by large concerns using night and day shifts and working at full pressure. If these are restricted to a twelve-hour day, it is quite possible that the usual output of 125,000 loaves daily will be reduced by 30,000. "The state of affairs occasioned by

the new baking regulations will bring considerable inconveniences in its train, and it will soon be recognised that the expected saving of Hour could have been attained more cheaply and more easily than by the heavy blows aimed at the proved! and tested methods of producing our bread supplies." SAVED FROM EXTINCTION. In an article headed "Mysticism and Politics," to which prominence is given by the Berliner Tageblatt, Herr Leopold von Wieso comes to the conclusion that the war will have the effect of saving Germany from national extinction :

"What miracle has happened? One great objective fact is disclosed: The State, which to-day is represented in the first line by her forces on land and sea, saves all us Germans from extinction! All thanks to the saviour of our ntaional existence. "History alone will tell what influences caused war to break out so suddenly. Our present interest lies only in the question whether, if those influences had not been exerted, and the war had been postponed, the .greater part of the world's opinion would be different from what it is. "The cosmopolitans and. the chauvinists would remain as such, and we Germans would be still rendering homage to capita ism, and. would still be striving after commercial success."

ROUMANIA "IN THE SPRING." The Frankfurter Zeitung seems to expect that Roumania will join , the Allies in the spring: "The Liberal party is now in power. The Government party may not hazard the existence of the State. The Liberal party has, therefore, shown great reserve in its statements. "Even more difficult is the position of the Conservative leader. He must not only soothe the naturally greater desire for activity prevalent in this party during the period of but he has also to combat a somewhat dang«rous opponent among his own ranks in Take Jonsecu. the leader of the Conservative-Democratic section. "Aj, present, Roumania remains neutral. The. development of events in the war area will certainly influence this policy. But we may well expect peace until the spring."