Figure 1.--Here we see German chidren coming to the Netherlands because of food shirtages in Germany. The American press caption read, "Hungary German chidren flckin to Holland threaten food famine in Netherlands: Reports from Holland indicvate that a serious food feared as a result of the large number of German childrenbeing sent to this coutry from Germany, presumably becausde of the lack of milk and foodin the German Empire. The problem of the Hollnd officials of excluding these youngsters is made difficult by the strong intimations of Grman officials that such an act would be cosidered unneitral. The picture shows a train load of German children arricing in Holland." The photograph was dated September 27, 1916. We are not sure how much the person who wrote the caption actually inderstood the details. We doubt that German children were sent to the Netherlands with ut Dutch groups being prepared to care for them.

We see inn1916 only the second full year of the War a serious food proble developing. There was preparation for a foof problem unlike preparations for military problems. This was because no one expected a war in 1914. Food shortages became more severe and widespread. Products like soap, fat, cheese, butter and eggs were generally unavailable. Scarcities of coal, shoes and textiles were reported. Food prices rose. The Government decreed price contrls, instituting maximum rices. This drove food on to the black market. Sugar and potatoes were affected. This was understandable for sugar which was mostly imported,but pottoes were a sraple. The German government mandated compulsory 'meatless' and 'fatless' days. The terrible Turnip Winter began at the end of the year. This was the first major food risis in Germany. Germany experienced a very rainy autumn. As a result, a substantial part of the planned turnip harvest rotted in the fields. With soi mny men in the army, apart of the problem was labor shortages for the hrvest. The end result was that the potato harvest was only about half of what was expected. And a very cold winter led to an increased demand for coal. Coal was the major fuel used in German homes. As production cold not be increased, coal shortges developed. Coal was also the fuel trains used. Shortages thus delayed rail transport, including the delivery of potatoes nd other food stuffs to the cities. This led to the loss of harvested potatoes due to spoilage. Spoiled in transit. In order to ensure that people at least survived, towns and parishes distributed turnips, which, for lack of any alternative, were prepared in every imaginable variation. This was in addition to the shortages created by the Royal Navy blockade, especially oils and fats. With food prices doubling since the start of the war, the government mandated tha towns with over 10,000 inhabitants expand their operation of soup kitchens, to ensure that people got at least one warm meal a day. Some 357 towns and cities operated 1,438 soup kitchens (October 1916).

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