In allegory and history war is usually associated with famine. But
fortunately in this otherwise awful conflict there is so far no general
famine. There are of course sporadic instances of local suffering from
lack of food in war-devasted regions, but the belligerent nations, as
entities, seem to have ample supplies. It is officially declared that
Germany has ample stores of food, and that the promise of the current
year’s harvest is bounteous. It is the same with Austria and Russia.
France and England have ample food from homegrown products and
importations. The outlook is for enormous crop yields in both the United
States and Canada. There seems to be ample ability in the warring
countries to take care of the harvests by the labor of the men not at
the front, supplemented by the labor of prisoners of war and of the
women and children. The setting of prisoners of war to work in the
fields is not inhuman. On the contrary, it is very often a mercy to the
prisoners.
Pestilence also is the usual accompaniment of war. There are reports of
pestilence from various quarters, but modern science has shown itself
able to battle with disease and prevent any widespread devastation from
it.