THE PLIGHT OF EUROPE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11752, 5 February 1918, Page 5

THE PLIGHT OF EUROPE

FOOD SITUATION UNCHANGED. (Sydney "Sun's" Special Correspondent.) LONDON, Jan. 19. Many eyes cast towards Australia see Paradise and plenty, furnishing the strongest contrast with grim Eu- ' rope, whose peoples, divided into hos~ : tile armies, face each other, strained and suffering, nenroiwly doubting their prospects in some cases, but [mostly buoyed up with hopes and promises of an early and favourable solution of the war. It is the bitterest weather for thirty years. This has intensified the distress. Severe snow and gules prevail in all countries. Tho tood queues lengthen and disorders increase. Though Britain's position is best of all, most households are pinched, and none is living up to th© pre-war. standard. The queues in London cotiii iiuie to grow. They began to-day in the darkness at 7 o'clock in the morning. Some of them numbered a thousand, and waited three of four hours for the chance of a little meat. There is still no need of hunger or illhealth, but one must eat what he can got. Choice has disappeared. NO PROFITEER IN G. There is increasing restlessness, and even occasional attacks oh the shops by the workers, due to the belief that the rich are escaping the trials of shopping, which have become such a heavy strain on the women but Lord Rhondda's frankness is ' removing thin trouble, and the public is generally accepting the restrictions with a wonderful good humour, asking only foj' equality ot sacrifice, and the cessation of profiteering. The Government- has instituted a new catchword, "The Food Bullet." The _ "Times" remarks that a situation is imminent which will tax everybody to tb© utmost, but need not, occasion alarm. Despite regulation, it is believed that the official figure understate the cost- of living. The middle class declare that the increase is nearer 200 per cent than 106. ENEMY MUCH WOItSE OFF. Conditions, however,"are iulinitely worse in Austria, and Germany, though sterner regulation has limited the increase in cost to (38 per cent in Prussia, and SJ) per cent in Austria. The collapse of the distribution of fuel by the Central Powers is due to Hindenburg's paramount demands for rolling stock, and it has caused intonse suffering and the revival of the herding instinct. People are living together for warmth. Many schools are closed, and industries stopped, and lighting is reduced. The Central Powers principally lack meat, bread, and lats, ot which the rations have been again reduced. Germany is quelling discontent by permitting municipalities to buy food at above the maximum prices, distributing it at a loss, whilst, hunger strikes are beaten by the more abrupt methods. As an illustration, the Brunswick motnl workers struck for. ail increase in (lie potato ration. Ihe military authorities sentenoNj a hundred strikers to various terms of imprisonment, up to tej) months, sending all oj militarv ag t > to the front. Austria's plight is pitiful, the amusing side, being the noisy altercal'°»s will, Hungary. The hitler had stopped the export of maize to Ausand reduced tho export of pork and bacon, whereupon Austria, seized the whole of the Serbian grain harvest.. Vienna's Ineat, bread. " and vegetable supplies are admittedly precarious.. Enormous prices rule. The } ioniieso are complaining that, Berlin w still getting nearly half the normal meat sup],lies, ihough this is kept, up >.\ the .slaughter ot nuleh cows. The Austrian* and (lerinans are promising the public supplies front ItusKih.