The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-10-19
J. r. Deems, Food Administrator for
iowa, Tells Why People Should
Practice Economy In
Food.
CANVASS is EXPLAINED
House to House Campaign to Eecure
Signatures to Pledge Cards Is
Just Common Sense Patriot
ism, He Says.
(By J. F. Deems, Food Administrator
for IOWa.)

(By J. F. Deems, Food Administrator
for Iowa)
Thousands of American soldiers
are now in France. Other hundreds
of thousands must follow if we are
to win this war. The worlds ship
ping tonnage is reduced to point
where it is necessary that food
should be transported in the most
compact bulk from the nearest point
to Europe, which is America. The
Items which we must ship are wheat,
meats, dairy products and sugar. or
these the American supply Is Inn
tied. 1t is our necessity, II we are
to win the war, that we supply our
armies and our allies with sufficient
food. 1t then becomes the problem
of bringing home to the people or
America that the people of our allies
are suffering actual privation, and
that our national armies may, too,
suffer if we do not come to their res
cue with the foodstuffs most easily
transported.
We must bring to the attention OF
the American people that small
daily saving in their consumption OF
the foodstuffs mentioned will amply
fill our needs. One less slice OF
white bread per day for each Ameri-
can will give us nearly all the wheat
we need. A slight reduction in the
daily individual consumption of meat
will turn the trick in that line. So,
too, with dairy products and sugar.
Corn, rye, vegetables, fruit fish and
poultry may be easily substituted, SO
that the full dinner pail" will not
be interfered with. Our problem
then is to secure the attention Of the
American people to these matters
and have them change their diet as
indicated during this international
food crisis.
The house to house canvass which
the patriotic women of Iowa have
pledge cards is for the purpose Of
impressing on the people the neces-
sity under which we labor The
United States food administration
feels this can be accomplished in no
other way. Realization will not come
to the people quickly enough to tide
us over this crisis unless the matter
is explained by word of mouth. When
the signed cards are turned in they
will form the expression Of the
PSOpic DeiSnih5 tAiO 6o'SAhAA ~
it's food conservation plans. No one
is to be forced to do anything in this
matter. It is subject for the con-
science of the individual. No de-
mands are going to be made by the
food administration. The pledge
cards will form mailing list through
which suggestions will go from the
government direct to the housewife.
There IS nothing unreasonable in this
program-nothing to be feared in
signing the cards.
It is common sense patriotism for
every housewife to get one of these
cards and sign it. The canvassers
are doing their part nobly and are
being assisted by the war mothers,
wives, sisters and sweethearts.
Surely the appeal of the women who
have given their men to the national
army will have it's weight with every
household in Iowa. We expect the
state to lead all others proportions
ately when the food pledge cam.
paign closes October %.