34 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



Quite aside from these considerations, it must be re- 

 membered that, except for the Percheron horse, England 

 is the only belligerent country which uses our breeds of live 

 stock. We shall not expect, therefore, any considerable 

 call for breeding stock, because in general each country, 

 except Belgium, will restore its own herds. But every one 

 of these countries will require large shipments of animal 

 and dairy products and wheat, in order to preserve its own 

 herds as far as possible for breeding purposes. 



The best study which the commission was able to make 

 led to the report that the Allies would need from us this 

 year some twenty million tons of food as against the eleven 

 millions of the preceding year. It must be remembered 

 that this estimate was made before the signing of the 

 armistice and that now, with shipping somewhat released, 

 a wider market is open, especially for wheat. 



Little is yet known definitely about the condition of 

 Germany and Austria-Hungary. The systematic thor- 

 oughness with which they stole everything which could be 

 eaten, taken in connection with the fact that this was an 

 industrial war in which the Central Powers set out to 

 destroy their neighbors, leads us to conclude that Germany 

 at least is fairly well provided for. Such was her own 

 assertion, although there are indications now that all is 

 not well in Germany, especially in respect to food. 



Conditions in Russia are practically unknown except 

 that in general she has ceased producing and millions of 

 people are starving in the very districts which were once 

 exporting wheat. 



How then may we sum up the outstanding conditions as 

 a whole? First of all, western Europe will probably not 

 need any very great numbers of breeding animals from this 

 side, but will require extensive shipments of animal prod- 

 ucts, especially fats, certainly for the current year and 

 probably for at least another. 



As to the middle and eastern sections, everything de- 

 pends upon the stability of government. The need for food 

 in those districts is unquestionable, but without stable 

 governments and the required credit they cannot secure it 

 unless we are generous enough to give it to them, and 

 there are those who are inclined to say that Germany has 



