Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10
Georgia'S Critical Food Problem
And the ONLY Solution.

I Georgia faces a FOOD problem the ike OF winch
its people have not known since the lean, grim
years OF the Civil The worlds store of grain
and meat and other basic commodities is short
critically short. There is deficit in the supply of
corn wheat. barley and reliably estimated at
! total OF hundred and thirty million bushels
less than the normal requirements of the countries
| now open trade. The amount of these cereals
! held on American farms March l last some
| seven hundred million bushels less than on the
same date of the preceding year In the midst of
this worldwide and truly distressing shortage of
food necessares the United States is entering upon
a war for which it must mobilize all its resources
II must prepare to ration an army of millions. 1t
must take over as far possible the task of pro-
visioning England and France whose cause is now
vitality its and whose undivided energy is need
ed for the battle front. Never before has so great
a responsibility rested on the American farm.
Never before has great and so urgent a respon-
sibility rested on the Georgia farm.
The only way by which Georgia farmers can
save themselves and the State from severe hard
ship, and the best way in which they can serve
their country, is to plan and act once with view
to raising every bushel Of corn, every pound or
meat and far possible all the other food sup
plies needed for Georgia's sustenance This is the
least they can afford to do matter of material
self interest. They ought to much further and
produce a surplus for the nations needs. Out OF
the abundance of her natural resources Georgia
ought to feed many times more people than those
within her borders. But she must feed her own
if she is to pass safely through the fiery test that is
upon us and is to be a help rather than hindrance
in the tremendous task the nation faces.
1t matters not how much cotton Georgia farmers
might raise this year nor how high the cotton mar
ket might SOAR it would profit them nothing in the
end if they were compelled to buy grain and meat
and kindred supplies time prices. And as far
as their own and the States practical interests are
concerned il matters not how little cotton they
raise if they produce enough corn and meat and po-
tatoes and peas and other commodities of the kind
Cotton needed of course: and should be raised
as abundantly as boil weev conditions, along with
the demand for an unprecedented food acreage
will allow. But the paramount need, the supremeiy
urgent need the need it would be tragicaly foolish
to ignore is for those staples which the very life
of our people and of the nation depend
For years past Georgia farmers have been urged
to raise food crops and food animals and the advice
was always good. But this policy is no longer
question of efficiency expediency alone, 1t is now
a question of downright necessity. With critical
shortage in the worlds food supply and a critical
shortage in the American food supply and with the
enormous demands of the war towering before us,
Georgia is under dire necessity of producing at least
enough foodstuffs to meet its own basic require
ments.
What is true of Georgia is equally true of the
other Southern States which heretofore have been
dependent on the of the country for nearly one
and half billion dollars worth of food necessarles
each year Dr. Carl Vrooman, assistant to the Sec
rotary of the National Department of Agriculture
cogeny set forth the larger side of the situation
when he said during his visit to Atlanta that the
South needs to be modified agriculturally at this
crucaI uncture of the nations history because the
South is peculiarly dependent for its food supply:
The South" he added, must develop her
food resources and her system of food dlstrlou-
ton to the highest point of efficiency. war
means that the present serious shortage OF
freight cars will become even more serious. IL
is essential that every possible food resource OF
the southern states be developed to its fullest
capacity this summer, and that reliance be not
nIaced on the cotton crop alone. 1t may be
that substitutes for staple foods will have TO
become part of the southern diet. Soy beans
and cowpeas, for example, would ease up the
rneat situation for both excellent protein
sources for human food. and IL wheat flour is
difHcult to get, bread be made of Hour IN
conjunction with potatoes, corn meal and rice.
The department of agriculture is urging each
section of the country to become as nearly as
practicable agriculturally independent. Local
self-sufaciency in food production means that
every section of the country should raise us
own corn wheat, oats, hay and live STOCK as
far as possible. Each city should use all avail
able vacant lots for truck gardens and chicken
yards"
Let every Georgia farmer and every Southern
farmer prepare forthwith raise all the food crops
and all the food animals this State and this section
require. By that means alone, can we protect our
home interests and do duty by the nation. The
coming autumn and winter will be safe and prosper
ous il this policy is pursued otherwise, they VIII
he filled with adversely.
II L.,