WHEAT WANTED

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 23, 26 January 1918, Page 11

WHEAT WANTED

BREAD THE FIRST NEED OF ITALY. A Canadian press despatch from Rome on 21st December, etates:—"One of the very greatest services that could be rendered to Italy now would be the sending over of large quantities of- wheat and also corn meal," said Ernest P. Bicknell, Director-General of Civilian Relief uf the Red Crocs, who has just completed an extensive investigation of Italy'e refugee problem. Italy's wheat shortage is" known in the United States', but it is not known how entirely her population, both soldiers and civilians, depend on bread as the principal food. I visited every section of Italy, and everywhere was told that the first need wa« bread, with war munitions second. Also it must be understood that wheat, and not white floui, is required, since the Italians are accustomed to baking whole wheat bread, except in certain parts of the north, where corn meal is used.

"The refugee problem will remain acute all this winter. It now is a queetion of helping to obtain work to make them self-supporting and to see that the family life is not destroyed. Venice offers the first example to all Europe of a, scientific handling of refugees by removing families slowly but entirely and ta,king along their working tools. Time, the famous Venetian lace manufacture now, is being;' carried on at Rimini as:it was in Venice, and the same condition applies to the tobacco and the leather factories..

"It was clue partly to the efforts of American Consul Carroll at Venice that the refugee movement became complete to the new homes. The Red CroEe also contributed to this result by establishing a hospital at Rimini."