SORROWS OF EVE

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 48, 24 February 1917, Page 11

SORROWS OF EVE

THYING FOOD PROBLEMS

A WITTY DISQUISITION

"Eve," the witty lady writer in the Tatler, discourses wittily on the food problem, as on maay other things. She observes :." About this old. food question, doesn't look as if we were going 'zackly to gourmandise the new year in, does it? National bread only from Ist January onwards, and no more saucy white rolls and things for breakfast— we're to be Bread Socialists, too, now, same kind for Mayfair as they have in Whitechapel, and that to be doled out in rations soon, liko everything else. Starting on sugar already, they are, and they say eVen cakes and chocs are going to be under the ban next, though la-st time I had tea in a teashop place you couldn't see the table hardly-for scrumptious, creamy, sugary, nicey-icey cake things. And Tou-Tou [her dog] and I managed to fill in any voids that remained after our paltry three-course Christmas dinner very nicely, thank you, with the Cadeaux de Noel, which were quite as usual, spite of any silly old food frumps—if not more so. Very wicked, I suppose—yes. But I can't help it, nor can Tou-Tou, can we, if the Government will reward so lavishly the gallant services of khaki and navy blue that tfhey simply can't get rid of it without the help of Charbonnel and Rumpelmeyer and people.

"Next thing, I suppose, drinks"ll be off, like they're going to be in France, or anyway doled out in silly teeny-weeny little portions that'd leave you thirstier than you began. Which'll be a t'rific score, won't it, ,for those of us who've got cellars properly packed with ■ billions of bins and pipes and barrels and casks of the very very best liquid nourishment laid down in the good old days before teetotallers had ever thought about being even bom? Don't see how even that cleverest of business, men, as they say Lord Devonport is, will ever manage to cut down their claret or portion their port or weigh out their whisky. But, of course, you never can tell—in war time. Don't suppose they'll draw the line-at rationing us in our restaurants when, the Food Ministry really gets going.

"Already there's a movement for collaring any sort of 'unoccupied land,' as they call it, to grow more food on, and the local 'thorities, whatever • they are, can pick up any bit they take a fancy to as far as I can make out—only got to say they thought turnips or mangel-wurzels or something would like the scfil. They've started planting the humble, necessary potato all along the railway lines already, I believe-—billions of 'em. S'pose we shall get pommes sautes when the engine puffs out more hot stuff than usual. But I'd rather have the primrose and a 'casional rabbit, wouldn't you —that is, if they'd let us travel by train at all? Unpatriotic, praps, bnt we were glad when Mr. Harcourt sat on them in the House —the people who wanted to plough up Hyde Park and propagate peas and parsnips in the squares."