Percentage increases in Food Prices in England, Germany and Austria, 



between July, 1914, and August, 1915 



Butter 

 Beef Veal Mutton Pork Bacon Lard Butter Subs. Eggs Cheese 



Berlin 45.9 40.7 53 129 148.2 170 58 



Vienna 104 100 .. 74.8 150. 163 50 100 128.6 .. 



London 39-71 .. 29-67 .. 30 .. 33 6 66 26 



Bread Rye Flour Milk Sugar Tea Coffee Rice Beans Peas Pota- 



Bread toes. 



Berlin 42.9 28.6 22 24 .. 9.7 186 186 232.5 75 



Vienna 100 81.4 32.3 8.6 .. .. 233 150 228.6 .. 



London 40 ..39 19 97 50 -3 



Food in Germany 



The Socialist paper "Vorwaerts," published in Berlin, estimated In July, 1914, the 

 total amount to be paid per month for the unavoidable necessities of food for a family 

 of four persons at 25 marks, 12 pfennige, or about $6.25 per week. This was the 

 minimum. This minimum advanced in succeeding months as follows: 



1914 Marks $ 1915 Marks $ 



August 22.44 5.00 January 29.65 7.12 



September 26.74 6.42 February 31.49 7.56 



October 27.09 6.50 March 32.90 7.90 



November 27.86 6.70 April 24.91 8.38 



December 28.74 6.90 May .26.49 8.76 



June 37.36 8.97 



In October, 1915, it had advanced to probably 50 marks, or $12.00. 



Not only was there a lessened quantity but the lessening of quality was perhaps a 

 greater evil. "Vorwaerts" states: 



Meat less and poor; breadstuffs, including cheese, not to be enjoyed; about half the 

 normal quantity of butter and eggs used; vegetables of the poorest sort in use; sugar 

 much reduced; cocoa, tea and marmalade have almost disappeared from the table, 

 even fresh fruit, so necessary to the nourishment of children; potatoes and war bread have 

 become the principal means of nourishment. The result is general under-nourishment 

 . . . This means not only bad nourishment, but hunger, permanent hunger! 



(Following the publication of the above statement came the temporary suppression 

 of the German paper.) 



GERMANY'S FOOD 



Germany has been able to keep up her struggle against the Allies because of her 

 wonderful national organization. She had trained and organized her people, organized 

 her industries and organized her agriculture. Her financial institutions, schools and 

 universities, and her churches also apparently had been organized to contribute their 

 share in the maintenance and strengthening of the nation. Had she been unable to 

 feed herself, she would, long ere this, have succumbed. How has she been able to do it? 



Immediately upon the outbreak of the war a Commission of sixteen experts was 

 formed to advise and direct the Government along the lines of the production and the 

 consumption of food. On this Commission were eight representatives from the most 

 important agricultural colleges; there were also two Imperial Statisticians. Prof. Paul 

 Eltzbacher, Rector of the Commercial College, Berlin, was Chairman. The first 



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