England was the largest butter importer in the world, getting her
supply mostly from northwestern Europe, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, and
Holland. Russia can no longer supply her. Neither can the neutrals,
who have been supplying Germany under pressure; they need Germany's
coal. Although the United States has increased her butter exports
to the United Kingdom, if our entire exports went to them, it would
supply only 6 per cent of the amount needed.
To help the situation, England has greatly increased her manufacture
of oleomargarine. Oleo oil and vegetable oils are being imported
in large quantities and now England uses twice as much margarine as
butter. But even with the margarine to help out, there is but little
to go around. The weekly ration of butter and margarine is one-fourth
of a pound per person, and at times even that amount has not been
available. In April an American newspaper man in London reported that
he had forgotten what butter tasted like. It could only be obtained
on the farms, and even those who made it were strictly limited in the
amount that they could keep themselves. Not even margarine could be
served at luncheon or dinner. There were long queues in front of the
shops before the distribution was better systematized. At present the
total amount of fat in the diet is increased somewhat by the allowance
of bacon and ham.
In Germany the fat shortage, has been so severe that, combined with
the bread shortage, it has been the greatest cause of food riots.
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