s were to the Allies what railroad carriages are to
Germany.

The General Staff looked at the situation from other angles. During
the winter there was a tremendous coal shortage in France and Italy.
There had been coal riots in Paris and Rome. The Italian Government
was so in need of coal that it had to confiscate even private supplies.
The Grand Hotel in Rome, for instance, had to give up 300 tons which it
had in its coal bins. In 1915 France had been importing 2,000,000 tons
of coal a month across the Channel from England. Because of the
ordinary loss of tonnage the French coal imports dropped 400,000 tons
per month. Germany calculated that if she could decrease England's
coal exports 400,000 tons a month by an ordinary submarine campaign
that she could double it by a ruthless campaign.

Germany was looking forward to the Allied offensive which was expected
this Spring. Germany knew that the Allies would need troops and
ammunition. She knew that to manufacture ammunition and war supplies
coal was needed. Germany calculated that if the coal importations to
France could be cut down a million tons a month France would not be
able to manufacture the necessary ammunition for an offensive lasting
several months.

Germany knew that England and France were importing thousands of tons
of war supplies and food from the United States. Judging from the
German newspapers which I read at this time every one in Germany had
the impression that the food situation in England and France was almost
as bad as in Germany. Even Ambassador Gerard had somewhat the same
impression. When he left Germany for Switzerland on his way to Spain,
he took two cases of eggs which he had purchased in Denmark. One night
at a reception in Berne, one of the American women in the Gerard party
asked the French Ambassador whether France really had enough food! If
the Americans coming from Germany had the impression that the Allies
were sorely in need of supplies one can see how general the impression
must have been throughout Germany.

When I was in Paris I was surprised to see so much food and to see such
a variety. Paris appeared to be as normal in this respect as
Copenhagen or Rotterdam. But I was told by American women who were
keeping house there that it was becoming more and more difficult to get
food.

After Congress declared war it became evident for the first time that
the Allies really did need war supplies and food from the Unit