The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-07

sense than TO initiate the rich in such
"A within. Usually they have proved
| themselves immune to sue influences.
But the case of white bread was an
exception to the rule. at least In
most of the civilized nations.
The German peasaLtry, be II said to
their credit, are still holding to the old
tnvigorating black bread made OF We.
And Germany has been making
mighty progress. Russia took TO the
white bread fad unhesitatinglv and
there they have carried the idea to
many other foods. But the hale rep
resentatives of the agrarian classes
still eat their old time dark bread.
The Russian aristocracy carried the
white food fad to such n limit that
they are now even eating white y!eats.
They took 10 white vine evep sefore
tie white bread. The white meats are
served with q sno white sauce
called smetana.
And France too. went Wild over the
white bread craze. All adopted the
white bread habit. and there. also, the
mills had to he reconstructed to adapt
them to the now form OF fiour manu-
facture.
Dun nO"liNIp HhT lHt Whitc
habit made greater Roadway than in
America When the American woman
once set her eye on the white loaf Il
was her undoing. Never was thu
housewife of any land won over TO
anything moro completely.
But at first the white loaf in
America was 20 go bad. II was not
40 white az now, hut more OF n
creamy color. Its crumb was elastic
and OF n sweet, nuttv flavor. II had
not been robbed Of all its nutr,ment.
Only the husk and the germ Of the
wheat had been removed in the mill
ing. The bread WAS yet rich in
gluten.
But the American housewife was
not to be satisfied with this. The
idea OF the white loaf seemed 70 grow
on her and 10 captlvate her. she
wanted the -four as white az possible
and ground az fine az possible. No
other standard Of excellcncy she knew
No other she asked to know. Grind
Il fine and make Il white" was the
command the miller received. No
matter how unhealthful the -four
might be. no matter how little nutri-
ment II might contain. the miller had
no alternative except 10 obey these
orders. When he did not obey them
his work was all for nothing. There
was no sale for his flour.
The American woman IL not an ev-
tremist. Rather conservative Is she.
"a lover Of moderation IN everything.
But there are exceptions 20 all rules.
they gay. and IN this matter Of the
white flour craze she certainly Went
the limit. When the miller had made
the Hour so white that II could ~
made no whittier. when all the starch
n the wheat had been exhausted. he
lad TO turn 70 other sources 10 sup
ply the demand for starch. but st!l
tho housewife was not satisfied. ~
nally the miller was forced 10 resort
20 cecmlcal bleaching. This came
near destroying what little life was
loft IN the rour. and introduced a
chcmica, substance which made Il all
the moro harmful.
Recognizing the harm NJ tho
hlcaChpd -four a strong effort wa
made to prohibit Il. hut the m!l'ors
ltted e because (; enabled them 20 USE
W ar TIC mou'dv and had wheat th,'
otherwise would have to he thrown
away. BY he bleaching process an,
Kind Of wheat may ne converted intc
white -four. So. IA the DooDie uante,
q auItho m.il"rs wanted Z. there w..
y nothing to do but to Let the hrsircs.
% on, and that ia why most " th'
hour on the market to-day Ia o,
a., tombstone wNitoucss
L. The demand for frolV ground fou'
y has kept pace with that for white
y ness. II has forced the miller 70 sucl
II " -.