But above it ever the Voice called:  “Hold!  My brave ones, hold!”

And ever the answer came from those drowning mouths, of men and women, of little children and the very beasts:  “Brother!  We hold!” But the black flood rolled over and on.  There, down in its dark tumult, beneath its cruel tumult, I saw men still with arms linked; women on their knees, clinging to earth; little children drifting—­dead, all dead; and the beasts dead.  And their eyes were still open facing that death.  And above them the savage water roared.  But clear and high I heard the Voice call:  “Brothers!  Hold!  Death is not!  We live!”

Can Germany Be Starved Out?

An Answer by Sixteen German Specialists[1]

[Footnote 1:  Die Deutsche Volksernaehrung und der Englische Aushungerungsplan.  Eine Denkschrift von Friedrich Aereboe, Karl Ballod, Franz Beyschlag, Wilhelm Caspari, Paul Eltzbacher, Hedwig Heyl, Paul Krusch, Robert Kuczynski, Kurt Lehmann, Otto Lemmermann, Karl Oppenheimer, Max Rubner, Kurt von Ruemker, Bruno Tacke, Hermann Warmbold, und Nathan Zuntz.  Herausgegeben von Paul Eltzbacher. (Friedr.  Vieweg and Sohn.  Braunschweig. 1914.)]

[From The Annalist of New York, March 1, 1915.]

BERLIN, Feb. 1, 1915.

Probably the most interesting economic problem in the world at this moment is whether England can succeed in starving out Germany.  While the world at large is chiefly interested in the vast political issues involved, the question interests the Germans not only from that standpoint, but also—­and how keenly!—­from the mere bread-and-butter standpoint.  For if Germany cannot feed its own population during the long war that its foes are predicting with so much assurance, her defeat is only a question of time.

That the German Government is keenly aware of the dangers of the situation is evident from the rigorous measures that it has taken to conserve and economize the food supply.  After having fixed maximum prices for cereals soon after the war began, the Government last week decided to requisition and monopolize all the wheat and rye in the country, and allow the bakers to sell only a limited quantity of bread (2.2 pounds per capita a week) to each family.  It had previously taken measures to restrict the consumption of cereals for other purposes than breadmaking; the feeding of rye was prohibited and its use in producing alcohol was restricted by 40 per cent.; a percentage of potato flour was ordered added to rye flour, and of the latter to wheat flour in making bread.  These are but a few of the economic measures adopted by the Government since the outbreak of the war.