This earnest Social Democrat’s idea is, of course, perfect in theory.  Even the able, hard-working Batocki, however, cannot make it practicable.  Why not? The Agrarian, the great Junker of Prussia, not only will not make sacrifices, but stubbornly insists upon wringing every pfennig of misery money from the nation which has boasted to the world that its patriotism was unselfish and unrivalled.

The most important German crop of all at this juncture is potatoes, for potatoes are an integral part of German and Austrian bread.  The handling of the crop, to which all Germany was looking forward so eagerly, exhibits in its most naked form the horrid profiteering to which the German poor are being subjected by the German rich.

It was a wet summer in Germany.  Wherever I went in my rural excursions I heard that the potatoes were poor.  The people in the towns knew little of this, and were told that the harvests were good.

An abominable deception was practised upon the public with the first potato supply.  For many months tickets had been in use for this food, which is called the “German staff of life.”  Suddenly official notices appeared that potatoes could be had for a few days without tickets, and the unsuspecting public at once ordered great quantities.

The Agrarians thus got rid of all their bad potatoes to the mass of the people.  In many cases they were rotting so fast that the purchaser had to bury them.  It was found that they produced illness when given to swine.

What other people in the world than the Germans would stand that?  But they did stand it.  “These are only the early potatoes—­the main crop will be all right,” said the profiteers right and left, and gradually the masses began to echo them, as is usual in Germany.

Well, the main crop has been gathered, and Food Dictator von Batocki is, according to the latest reports I hear from Germany, unable to make the Agrarians put their potatoes upon the market even at the maximum price set by the Food Commission.

They are holding back their supplies until they have forced up the maximum price, just as a year ago many of them allowed their potatoes to rot rather than sell them to the millions in the cities at the price set by law.

Some Germans, mostly Social Democratic leaders, declare that since their country is in a state of siege, the Government should, beyond question, commandeer the supplies and distribute them, but just as the industrial classes have, until quite recently, resisted war taxes, so do the Prussian Junkers, by reason of their power in the Reichstag, snap their fingers at any suggested fair laws for food distribution.

The Burgomaster—­usually a powerful person in Germany—­is helpless.  When on September 1 the great house-to-house inventory of food supplies was taken, burgomasters of the various sections of Greater Berlin took orders from the people for the whole winter supply of potatoes on special forms delivered at every house.  Up to the time I left, the burgomasters were unable to deliver the potatoes,