Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-08-11
New Commissioner Issues SOL
emn Warning to American
People; Tells Plain Facts of
Situation,
EXPECTS COOPERATION
OF BUSINESS MEN
Those Who Undertake to Make
Extortionate Profits Certain
to Find Out That Law Has
Teeth,


Washington, Aug. 10. Herbert
lloover's statement outlining the gov
ernments purposes in administering
the food legislation follows:
THE hopes of the food administra,-
ton are three fold. First, to so guide
the trade in the fundamental food
commodities as to eliminate vicious
speculation, extortion and wasteful
practices and to stabilize prices in the
essential staples. Second to guard our
exports so that against the world 8
shortage we retain sufficient supplies
for our own people and to cooperate
with the allies to prevent initiation of
pr ices; and third, that we stimulate in
every manner within our power the
saving of our food, in order that we
may increase exports to our allies to
point which will enable them to
properly provision their armies and to
feed their peoples during the coming
winter
Will Protect Business.
The food administration is called
into being to stabilize illegitimate COM
petition. 1t has been devised to cor
rect the abnormalities and abuses that
have crept into trade by reason of the
world disturbance and to restore busi-
ness as far as may he to reasonable
basis.
The business men of this country, I
am convinced, as a result of many
hundreds of conferences with repre-
sentatives of the great forces of food
supply realize. their own patriotic OBJ
legation and the solemnity of the stu
alton and will fairly and generously
but hatcher by coordination with the
emergency.
Faith in Business Men.
81 do not believe that drastic forces
need be applied to maintaina economic
distribution and sane use of supplies
by the great majority of American peo-
pie and l have learned deep and
abiding faith in the intelligence of the
average American business man whose
aid we anticipate and depend on to
remedy the evils developed by the war
which he admits and deplores as deep
ly as ourselves. But, if there be those
who expect to exploit this hour of
sacrifice, If there are men or organiza-
tons scheming to increase the trials
of this country, We shall not hesitate
to apply to the full the drastic, CO.
ercive powers that congress has con-
ferred upon us in this instrument.
To Stabilize Prices.
I'm enforcing the measures of the
act, it Is not our intention to pro-
ceed with host Of punitive measures
butr ather by coordination with the
various trades to effect such construc.
tive regulations as will render gambl-
ing, extortion and other wasteful prac-
tices impossible and will stabilize
prices. Indulgence in profiteering in
this hour of national dangers, is far
from the wish or will of the vast ma.
jority of our business people and / am
convinced that while we must have
ready in reserve the corrective powers
given us, we shall by these powers
free the great majority from neces-
sity to compete with operators whose
sole effort is to initiate prices and
bring into dlsrepute the majority of
ceed as rapidly as possible with con-
structive regulation in various COM
modtes and to announce each pro-
gram as quickly as it is properly FORM
ulated We hope within the next few
days to announce the method of wheat
and flour control.
Position of Allies Critical.
1.-THE deen obligation is upon us to
feed the armies and the peoples as
sociated with us in this struggle. The
diversion of 10000, 600 Of their men
TO war or war work; the additional
millions of women drafted to the
places of their husbands and brothers,
the toll of the submarine, have all
conspired to so reduce production that
their harvests this autumn will fail
500, 100000 bushels of grain below
their normal production. Always de-
pendent upon import from other coun-
tries for a substantial part Of their
food needs our western European al
lies because of the destruction of ship
ping by submarine and the isolation
from the normal markets by belliger-
ent lines, are forced to large degree
upon our markets, not only as the
rearest, but as the only market capa-
BILE of relieving their bitter necessity.
Must Increase Exports.
therefore, whereas we exported
before the war but 80.000.000 bushels
of wheat per annum, this year, by one
means or another. we must find for
them 225, 100000 bushels. and this in
the face of short crop. Our best will
but partly meet their needs. for even
then they must reduce their bread con.
sumption 25 per cent and 1t Will be
war bread they must eat-war bread.
of which a large portion consists OF
other cereals.
Already the greater call for meat
and animal products due to the stress
of war on the millions of men on the
fighting line and the enhanced ply
sical labor of the populations or
dinarily, subsisting on lighter diets
coupled with the inadequate world
supply. have compelled our allies to
kill upwards of 33.000.000 head of
their stock animals. This Is burning
the candle at both ends, for they
are thus sitting their annual produc-
ton. Therefore, not only must we in
crease their supplies OF meat and dairy
products but must prepare as war