A GERMAN NEWSPAPER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17215, 18 January 1918, Page 3

A GERMAN NEWSPAPER

INTERESTING EXTRACTS.

Some fcinio atjo Rifleman Morell Macdonald obtained in tho tit-Id a copy oi a small German newspaper ".vliidi he sent out to his father, Mr 11. A. Maedonakl of lnvcTOirf'ill. Mr Macxkmakl sent it oJonsr to tho Southland. Times ofli.ie, and at the request of tho editor Dγ D. K. Hansen, of tho Technical College, hue been good enough to translate some of tho more interesting- articles and paisißrapiis, whneJi uro apprised. The papt-r is the shausen Zeit.mg, of 23th September, 1917 Jt is tho official'paper published in tho small town of Ludmgshausen. in \\-retphalia.. .« is published daily, iwludinp Sunday, with tho exception of tho clay following Sunday Mid public holidays. Price, delivered in. Ludingshnusen, Bi<l a month. Tho first extract tho Ocrmsm war loan, and roads as follows: THE WAB, liOAW. AND FIELD-MARSHAL TON lIINDENBUTIG. General Field-marshal von Hindenburg-, tho general oonunandier-in-eliief and tno national hero of Germany, will _ completeon the 2nd of October his seventieth year. On that day, therefore, do all of -us, great and small, young and old, dcsir© to romcniboT him, and to lay at our heroe foet tho g-reatest material token of our love, gratitude, and respect. How wo can best do this may be told in the admirable words of School Inspector Herold, of this district: "Who subscribes to tho war loan gives mo tho finest birthday gift, calls our Hindenburg in cottage and cattle, and let us all—mercliante and peasants, labourers and mechanics, civil servants and financiers shopkeepers and manufacturers—stretch, out our hands to our champion. Only not empty hands, but holding ten, Inrodrcd, and thousand mark notes as birthday presents. And tho children must not bo lacking in their good wishes on this occasion. Komomber this when your little once, ior whoso future millions are now fighting and shedding their Wood, ask for a birthday present to give him. For in ti»s_ matter giving -will, cost you nothing-, and, in. addition to bringing happiness, victory and contentment to the Fatherland, it will return you interest .it 5 per cent. Tho nest extract gives us an inkling of tho methods by which the hopes of the Germans are kept up. It reads as follows: — ENGLAND FACES FAMINE IN 1318. A WET SUMMER AND A BAD HABYEST. The coming dearth of food throughout the world in 1918 is dreaded by tho united Powers. Tli3 citizens in the poorest classes of the large English towns have been opposed to carrying- on agricultural labour, and have treated the idea with the utmost contempt. Tho London press, so harmful to tho country's welfare, has through its advertising columns systematically given encouragement in the matter of migration from the land and permitted it to assume formidable dimensions. Extensive cultivation of the soil, though favoured by the climatic conditions, has of necessity given place universally to the raising of stock. Tho cultivation of cereals has fallen to a minimum, and 80 per.cent, of the requirements in tho matter of grain must be satisfied by importation from abroad. America, the great wheat- grow ing land, was the source from which came England s supplies. The impeding of the transport of train by the submarines has now called for a mio-hty effort in England in the^ province of agriculture. A general enthusiasm has suddenly arisen for agriculture, and people who previously, with their proletarian dignity as citizens of the largo towns, and who formerly despised it and regarded tho agricultural worker as only half-man, have in the past summer in their quest for breadstuffs cultivated even tho poorest ground by the sweat of their brow. The townshave put their parks and playing areas under cultivation. Great stretches of pasture land have been broken np and zealously sown with corn. It was hoped thus to nullify the effects of tho submarine blockado and to increase tho home production of grain. However, the summer was excessively wet. This is gradually becoming fully known, and the press is issuing warnings against under-estimating the danger. To quote from the newspaper The World: — "Now already should our country realise that we are faced by the prospect of a, poor harvest, and we should form some idea as to what that means. According to the weather reports we have not had for_ 23 years so wet an August as the ono just past. It is doubtful whether it has been found possible to bring in the hay or corn since the beginning of the warm weather in July, a few favoured -nlaces being_ of course excepted." And with this are given calculations regarding the position, which appears more gloomy than we previously believed: —" In spite of all onr efforts it is improbable that we will produce this year moro than throe million quarters of wheat [r.r hiim.-m r-cn.Minirtinn. and l!n'. is exactly one-tenth of the quantity that we require. The production of oats and barley has suffered equallv with that of wheat on account of the bad harvest in North America. Tho -hope of foreign grain rests with the Argentine. This groat wheat producing country lies in the southern hemisphere. It has its harvest shortly after the New \ear, which is just eaviy enough to save England and her innocent victims (her allies) fiom starvation in early summer of 1918. This accounts for the pressure exacted by means

of the stolen Luxburg tclpgnuns by whioh '• disclosures" it was hoped to force tho Argentine ii'to the war. Whatever may l>3 tho outcome* of this, it will avail tho English but little. Tho World, which has already been quoted, correctly and soberly states: "That tho distresses of a poor harvest can be made good according, to tno news that Germany intends to give free passage to Argentine ships sailing under their own flag and carrying foodstuffs will bo disputed by many. In any case too much importance must not attribute lo this possible source of supply." • This brings us, therefore, to tho point that wo could, ahnost wish to have another foe ranged o.gainst us. For the boa, of food ships from the Argentine could not but strengthen our enemies seriously, Wowever if Argentine comes into the coninct then this matter can ooaso to b<; considered, and our U boats will encounter tho wheat Bliipa from the South. American State with particular satisfaction even if their cargoes, according to tho World, would Biiffice only in a slight degree to satisfy tho senoraß wants of England. So it is clear that uorione days are ahead for JSngland, -whether tho war comes to an end on that account or not. Tho country that set out to starve us, and was the first to introduce this most _ treacherous method of warfare, has brought into its own land tho direst distress.