Evening star., 1915-01-16
PRESIDENT SEEKS
FACTS ON WHEAT
Directs Investigation to Learn
n'LaW Has Been Violated
in Price Advance.
Department OF JUSTICE
TO FURNISH INFORMATION
Mrs, Julian Heath Seeks Embargo on
Exports-Inventory Of q. S.
Food Supply Urged.

FOOQ oupply oISeu.
President Wilson today directed At
torney General Gregory to investigate
whether there had been any violations
of law In the rise Of prices of wheat
and -four.
The Department of Commerce prob
ably will be asked by the President to
furnish information showing waht de-
gree of increase in exports of wheat
and aoupr followed the outbreak OF
| the European war.
Mr.. Gregory has promised prompt
prosecutions on any evidence that IL
legal combinations have forced up the
price of wheat and flour or other food
products. One investigation now being
conducted in Chicago is being watched
closely by the Department of Justice.
Export Embargo Suggested.
| From various sources suggestions
have been made to the President that
an embargo be laid on wheat and
-four exports to keep homo prices nor
NAL officials declined today to COM
ment on any Of them.
| United States district attorneys through
out the country are looking into the situ-
alton, under instructions from the de-
partment, which were issued by direction
of President Wilson when food prices in
creased after the beginning Of the Euro
pean war. The Attorney General states
that these instructions still are in effect.
| In Congress also latest developments
in the situation are being closely fol-
lowed, and although several resolu-
| tions relative to the increase In food
prices are pending in committees of
the House, it was understood today
that there is no intention now to take
them up for action on the ground
\ that no useful purpose would be
served.
President Wilson had before him to-
day the suggestion of Mrs. Julian
/ Heath. president of the National
embargo on wheat exports from this
country should the prices continue to
rise.
Mrs. Heath's Telegram.
| Mrs. Heath's telegram read as fol-
lows:
| 'The National Housewives League,
representing 100000 American families
with organizations in every state in
the Union. appeals to you. In view of
the situation regarding wheat and
| flour. to take drastic measures. at once
to protect your people, even. il neces-
| sary, to place an embargo on these
| products.
I'VE are facing crisis which needs
your serious consideration and action.
Unless way is devised to protect our
people, suffering such as this country
has rarely felt will ensue.
Our bumper crop will avail but little
| for the producer or consumer unless
Washington intervenes for their pro-
| lection"
For Food Supply Inventory.
! An inventory of the food supply of
the United States is being sought by
Representative Farr of Pennsylvania,
whose resolution directing the Depart
ment of Agriculture to furnish infor-
nation on that line to the House is
| privileged and could be called up at
| any time after today without-favorab BILE
action by the House committee on ag-
| riculture. Many of the questions asked
by Representative Farr in the resolu-
tion. based on the soaring prices of
| wheat, will be answered by Secretary
Houston in letter to Representative
| Lever of South Carolina. chairman of
obviate the necessity of committee and
House action.
| I'VE must find out how much food
this country can raise, and how much
l A. Sdu CAPoiS " thS ISSl VI luG "OTlU,
| said Representative Farr today. "It is
| obvious to my mind that We cannot
| feed the whole world, and it is OBJ
vious to any one who studies the fig-
ures that the country is approaching
| nearer and nearer to the line dividing
| its needs from its surplus of food. In
| 1892 we reached for the first time the
| billion dollar mark in exports. and of
| that so per cent was foodstuffs; five
| years later this proportion had fallen
| to 40 per cent, and in 1912 the per-
| centage of food exports had fallen to
| 10 per cent. Now we must demand an
| inventory and let farmers and con-
sumers know exactly how large wheat
| and other crops we must raise to keep
prices at the right level.
"On the wheat crop now moving. we
had an exportable surplus of 24s.000.000
bushels. but this sudden squirt in ex-
ports has reduced that surplus terrific
ally, SO that by January 4, just twelve
days past. we had shipped of this sur
plus 186.000.000 bushels. 1t appears to
me that the surplus will go soon. and
there will be a gap of three months be-
tween March of this year and the time
the new wheat crop comes in. What
will we do in that time?
Whera Ara TnndsfNfrs Eo}Dop