Spain, which is generally spoken of as one of those countries which did well out of the war, seems to be suffering precisely the same trigulations as the rest of the world and, in degree, worse than some of the former ' combatants. The "Dia" of Madrid says there is no bread, no tobacco, no house room: there are already tobacco queues, bakers' queues and there will soon queues of citizens with their families and furniture secking shelter. Potatoes have become, it is said, a luxury for millionerres, Women in various parts of the country have demonstrated against the high cost of living and the difficulty of obtaining bread and oil, while the lack of cigarettes has provoked disturbances in the provinces. The last fact is no indication of undue levity on the part of the men but rather a serious protest against the alleged profiteering on the part of the tobacco company which holds a monopoly from the State. Of course, like most other countries, Spain has controlled her food supplies, but no matter how good a system is evolved it cannot combat shortage effectively. For some years to come it would seem that the country able to pay the highest price will secure most goods and the competition of the purchaser should lead the vendor to increase his output. Possibly with an approximation between supply and demand prices will come down. They should, by the rules of economics: but here as in many other matters "nice manners curtsey to great kings."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.