Mexico Missouri message., 1917-11-01

and its allies show no disposition to
yield to the pleas of the so-called neu-
tral nations that have been supplying
Germany with food and other mate
rials. According to reports received in
Washington, the food situation In Ger
many is growing acute. The weekly
ration there amounts approximately
to four and a half pounds of bread
a half peck of potatoes, a cupful of
beans, peas, or oatmeal; half pound
of meat, twelve cubes of sugar, six
individual patties of butter and an
| equal amount of other fats. The caloric
value of these foods in the aggregate,
| Is less than half the amount estimated
by the American food administration
as sufficient for person in a sedentary
occupation.
Coal Strike Makes Trouble.
The coal situation, especially in ILL
nols, caused the administration a great
deal of trouble. Strikes, unauthorized
by the union, stopped production and
the operators declared they could not
pay the wages demanded unless they
were allowed to charge the general
public so cents more n ton. Coal Ad-
ministrator Garfield was swamped with
appeals and protests, and sent out Il
message to the effect that unless min
ing was resumed the federal govern
ment would seize the mines. The whole
affair has the appearance of greed fOs-
tered by underhanded pro-German in
fluences.
Food Administrator Hoover has
been brought to a realization of the
fact that the retail grocers of the coun-
try are robbing the ultimate consum-
ers, and he proposes to go as far as his
powers permit in stopping the extor-
ton. In a statement issued Thursday
Mr.. Hoover said that though neither
the food administration nor the goy-
ernment has authority to regulate the
retailer as 1t does the wholesaler, he
would, beginning November 1, expose
the former each week by publishing
the wholesale prices of all commodities
in every section. Thus the purchaser
will know how much the retailer Is
paying and how much undue profit he
is exacting. Mr.. Hoover cites particu-
larly the retail price Of flour, which Is
out of all proportion to the wholesale
price fixed by the government, and al
so the recent unwarranted advances
in the retail price of sugar.
Unless the retailer grocer behaves,
the food administrator hints, congress
may be asked for legislation giving the
government power to regulate him. Mr..
Hoover asserts that the corner has
been turned in high prices and that If
the farmer and retailer cooperate with
| him, the essential commodities one af-
| ter another should continue to show re-
ductions between now and the end of
the year.
The war department issued orders
Thursday for the entrainment Of the
final quotas of the first draft from the
northwest states and the entire mobili-
zation of the 6S7000 men of the first
army is expected to be complete by
| the middle of November. The call for
the second draft is not expected be-
fore the first of the year, but Orange
ments for 1t are under way and it may
be that the remaining 100000 eligi-
bles will be examined in advance so as
to establish a waiting list. Prepara-
tions for the winter In the training
camps are being made rapidly and
there is reason to believe that there
will be no shortage of warm clothing,
arms and all other necessary supplies.
The Liberty bond campaign went
with rush last week, despite the dis
loyal opposition displayed in some To-
calities. The gov srnment has taken
steps to punish the prO-German work
ers who have fostered this hostile SEN
timent, and Secretary McAdoo has ask
ed banks to report the names of those
who have sought to intimidate bank
ers by threats to withdraw their de-
posits.
The senatorial committee investigat.
ing Senator La Follette's loyalty held
several sessions but was temporarily
foiled by the willy fellows demand that
he be given the opportunity to cross.
examine those who had contradicted
his assertion regarding Bryan's state
ment to President Wilson anent the
Lusitania. AS the committee cannot
well summon the president or Mr.
Bryan, 1t adjourned to think the case
over.
Former Senator Pettigrew of South
Dakota is emulating the record of La
Toilette and defying the government
TO have him indicted. His utterances
are If anything more reprehensible
than those of the Wisconsin man. but
he himself is much more negligible
If all their readers and hearers were
persons OF sound sense, neither one
would be worth the powder 1t would
take tu blow him oyer TO Germany