, wheat, barley, coffee, eggs, rice, maize, and the like, present
a different problem. It is unlikely that, apart from certain comforts,
the consumption of food by the German laboring classes before the war
was in excess of what was required for maximum efficiency; indeed, it
probably fell short of that amount. Any substantial decrease in the
imports of food would therefore react on the efficiency of the
industrial population, and consequently on the volume of surplus exports
which they could be forced to produce. It is hardly possible to insist
on a greatly increased productivity of German industry if the workmen
are to be underfed. But this may not be equally true of barley, coffee,
eggs, and tobacco. If it were possible to enforce a regime in which for
the future no German drank beer or coffee, or smoked any tobacco, a
substantial saving could be effected. Otherwise there seems little room
for any significant reduction.

The following analysis of German exports and imports, according to
destination and origin, is also relevant. From this it appears that of
Germany's exports in 1913, 18 per cent went to the British Empire, 17
per cent to France, Italy, and Belgium, 10 per cent to Russia and
Roumania, and 7 per cent to the United States; that is to say, more than
half of the exports found their market in the countries of the Entente
nations. Of the balance, 12 per cent went to Austria-Hungary, Turkey,
and Bulgaria, and 35 per cent elsewhere. Unless, therefore, the present
Allies are prepared to encourage the importation of German products, a
substantial increase in total volume can only be effected by the
wholesale swamping of neutral markets.

GERMAN TRADE (1913) ACCORDING TO DESTINATION AND ORIGIN.

----------------------+--------------------+--------------------
| Destination of | Origin of
| Germany's Exports | Germany's Imports
----------------------+--------------------+--------------------
| Million Per cent | Million Per cent
| Dollars | Dollars
Great Britain | 359.55 14.2 | 219.00 8.1
India | 37.65 1.5 | 135.20 5.0
Egypt | 10.85 0.4 | 29.60 1.1
Canada | 15.10 0.6 | 16.00 0.6
Australia | 22.10 0.9 | 74.00 2.