WILL THERE BE A FAMINE IN GERMANY ?
ITO THE EDITOR OP TAR SPECTATOR:1 Sirs—I am addressing to you a letter which ought really to be addressed to the Government and people of Germany, and I do so in the fervent hope that your influential and widely read periodical penetrates into Germany by way of neutral countries, and that Germany's rulers and leading men will see this letter, for it is really addressed to them. In your last issue you had a lengthy article on the food position in Germany. The writer's views as to the great stringency of food in that country are confirmed by the facts which are now published every day in the papers. The food position in Germany is no doubt serious. How serious it is only the best-informed Germans can know. There is a great deal of peace talk in the air, and, as you have rightly shown in a recent number, the " peace " which is urged upon us by some Englishmen is a mis nomer, for peace on Germany's terms would be surrender. That is, of course, out of the question. The Germans have declared that they would fight to the last gasp ; but in view of the food stringency it seems doubtful whether it is safe for them to do so. If their stock of food should bo allowed to run dangerously low, or to run out altogether, widespread starvation in Germany would seem inevitable. There is a scarcity of foodstuffs practically everywhere in Europe. It may not be serious in Russia, France, Italy, and England. Still, these nations cannot spare millions of tons of food. If Germany should require largo quantities of foodstuffs in order to obviate starvation, they would hare to be obtained from America, India, Australia, &c. ; and as vast quan- tities of shipping have been destroyed, it would necessarily take months to rush over food in adequate quantities. Now if the German autho- rities wait too long it may be that the Allies, with the best will in the world, will not be able to prevent starvation on a largo scale in Germany. Germany is being blockaded, not with a view to starve the people to death, but in order to force the Government to surrender. The responsibility, should the war bring about starvation on a large scale in Germany, would therefore rest with the leaders of the German nation, and especially with the Imperial Government.—
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