Two, messages, which serve to indicate the difficulty which the Allies must necessarily have, in deciding whether or not to mitigate the blockade so that those portions of Europe overrun by the Germans shall escape the famine pending this year, throw an interesting light on the situation. Elsewhere in this issue is a telegram from Havas stating that the' growing shortage of pharmaceutical products, due to the strict blockade, is being very acutely felt in France. The lack of insulin, so essential in the treatment of diabetes, as well as all medicines derived from paraffin, and extracts of gum and oil, which were formerly imported from French colonies and the Far East, have had the result of -sorely "inconveniencing physicians in France. Reserves of medicaments are rapidly being used up, and this at a time when the war has left such a trail of suffering in its wake. On the other hand, according to a message printed in yesterday's issue, reliable diplomatic reports in Washington are to the effect that Germany has made a demand upon the Petain Government for the delivery of 58 per cent. of food and raw materials in unoccupied France and for any other such nets as France may have.
It is but natural that the first thought "would be to support any scheme which would ensure adequate medical supplies being sent into unoccupied France to alleviate caused during recent months that even the suffering. Theret has been so much
most hardened persons would wish to see eaa done to minimize it. But Germany stands in control of occupied and unoccupied France. Lest there should be any derstanding about that last sentence, "it needs to be pointed out that the Armistice
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.