NEW ZEALANDERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9539, 3 March 1919, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDERS.

IN THE OCCUPIED REGIONS

(From the Official War Correspondent.) , . February 25. In addition to the ordinary military duties concerned with demobilisation and the formation'of Strong points,ou. the boundary of the neutral zone, our ; 'dwindling .division, is .mainly occupied with ediication and certain adrriinist'rar tivc duties in tho occupied area. Our r-otnmandant is the! Divisional General, and under him there axe three officers acting as sub-area commanders. At present one of the main considerations is the supply of. food to the civilian population. Our zone is main- - Jv 1- an industrial one. set in a district- of moderate agricultural and pastoral capacity. Factories have, had to dis-' pense with thousands of workmen owing to the scarcity of raw material and the lack of markets. Undoubtedly the food shortage is becoming serious, and but for the presence of our force' there would be considerable unrest and even Bolshevism. This is fully realised by the manufacturers. As one of the ptiii! r cipal industrialists put it: "I realise 1 that if the New Zealandera were not here.l would not be here."

The burgomasters state that the people in poor circumstances are suffering in health from want of nourishment. These number over 10,000. There arc in addition .54,000 who are willing to pay for a grant of army rations, which, equal one soldier's ration to four people. There are in addition 400 Allies and neutrals, mostly Italian, who need assistance,. In one of the snlmresiH there are 3000 children suffering from lack of proper nourishment. Tlie position is complicated by the hoarding and ' saje of, food- by the hoarders^ to people, who can afford to p:Vv for it. Undoubtedly the German organisation of rationing has not been effective, and a large percentage of the civilian population have not played the cyme as' the British have played it in. their own country. Nearly 90 per cent. of the people 'are concerned in the system, and the German Government aiv rolin.'liiiit ' or afraid to interfere. Tiio only remedy appears to be mjui■•iLimjiuii and entire 'control by the occupying'armies. ■ >v . . -' ' In one Mib-area wittf a population, of 12.000. deaths'have increased from* 140 in 1914 to 300 in 1918. The weekly ration is at present:,—Potatoes 51b, flesh 150 grammes, fat 30 grammes, and bread 411). Milk is available only in a small quantity for children and the sick. One lias only to look at the children to conclude that Germany will feel the effects of ,this malnutrition for at least another 20 years. In some parts the milch cows have been killed to supply meat.

The situation as regards meat has, however, been somewhat relieved by the s;il<; of our useless horses. Four "hundred horses of the New Zealand Division have already been sold for slaughtering at prices ranging from £15 to £20 each. The potato shortage is serious, and supplies will not last hevond the middle of next month. Already civilians from one town in, our area are making raids on the'potato' pits in another part of the area.

The influenza epidemic amongst our troops is apparently abating,' and only a few on sea are now. daily reported. ' We have now got rid of practically all our horses, the.great majority having boon pent to British bases. Only five horses, will he jbaken back to New Zealand, and these ■ for sentimental masons. General Nanier Johnston is in oommnntl of the division.

Owinir to labour troubles in England the campr there are full, to overflowinc. and the Maoris have not yet been able to leave, though it was understood here weeks ago that they wore already on their \v;iv to New -Zealand.