South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-02
SAVE NATIONS BY
SAVING RAT1ONS
Such is Theme Of COnServa-
ton Sermon Delivered by
Rev. M. c. Haunt.


tons. was the subject of the SER
mon delivered Sunday morning by
Rev Melvin G. Hunt al the Trinity
Methodist church. Acting on the
suggestion OF Herbert Hoover, ma
tional food dictator. Rev. Hunt
urged the people of his congregation
10 lend their aid in the food con-
servatiOn movement, offering sug-
gestions TO help them in the work.
Rev. Hunt said in part:
This nationally chosen theme is
as pertinent TO patriotism as it is
proper for pulpit treatment 1t IS
as old as Egyptian history and as
sacred as Joseph's place in Biblical
literature. II comes as near being
a vital topic as any that could be
named. The word crisis is prob-
ably being overworked these days.
but not when applied 20 the food
problem.
Need Food First.
Democracy needs men and
il needs subsistence. All the gold
of earth could not buy more meat
and wheat than il produced. We
have been ppodigal Of our super
abundance so long that IL is hard 10
get the idea in our minds that there
is actually a limit 10 the world 3
stock of food And il is as neces-
sary 20 feed our allies as our
selves, for they are fighting our bat
ties We must feed half the world
on what would ordinarily be but lit
tie more than enough for ourselves.
Housewives understand that prob
lem and they must furnish the So
luton in large manner. The war
did not create this difficulty, but il
has wonderfully aggravated it.
Men have seen this thing COM
ing for years. Increasing the con-
Stunning class in the large cities and
industrial centers. and decreasing
the producing class on the farms
was bound sooner or later 10 bring
on a food crisis. The catastrophe
is being FASTENED, of course. by the
action Of food spectators. Never in
the history OF New York has SO
much grain and foodstuffs been
stored. The warehouses are all fill
ed; cars. unable to be emptied, block
the lines: perishabie goods spoil.
Meanwhile actual suffering due to
exorbitant prices prevail all that
few men may rake in a few more
shekels. Recently a man wrote that
he was in the office of a commits
sion man in one O. our central west
ern cities when an agent offered To
sell 10 carloads of potatoes at four
cents per pound. The commission
man refused TO buy, alleging that
people were not buying. IL wasn't
10 minutes later that a retail mer-
chant came in wanting 10 sacks of
potatoes He was told by this COM
mission man that he could have but
one sack, and he would have 10
charge $3.50. for he had Just a few
left This incident may not be au-
thentic. but it is typical of what is
happening.
Can Help i'm some Ways.
I'VE probably cannot 40 much
towards reaching either of these
two causes named, at least imme-
diately But there are some pa
triotic demands made upon us by
the urgency of the hour that we
can meet. We can curtail. or at
least greatly lessen. luxuries. Each
one can make out the list for him
self. but be sure 10 put down every
thing that does not effectively aid
towards the great ends We are seek
ing as a people TO reach. Many
people in the east are not using their
pleasure cars in order that they may
economize that way. IL is proba-
$4,000. OO0 for chewing gum. nor
$19O.OOO.00O for candy. nor $780,
zoe. 600 for tobacco, nor $1,150, 0OO,-
geo for liquor. Certainly each one
can ind something in the luxury
list 10 cut out for so worthy
cause.
Another patriotic demand is the
prevention Of waste. We waste ST.
000. 600, 600 each year in this coun-
try one garbage can make weak
en- our cause more than a dozen
German spies Then why should
We permit 7.0OO,O 100000 pounds OF
foodstuffs 10 be worse than wasted
in the manufacture OF intoxicating
drinks? This is a crime against de-
mocracy beside which treason ap-
pears as a virtue. Americans must
produce more. and consume less.
and they must do il at once. and
every day in some degree. Plant,
supplant and substitute, II out OF
this crisis there can come thrift.
sanity and simplicity in living. we
shall be great gamers aside from
the larger victories that will be
made possible by this saving Be
cause We have been faithful in the
very little. have thou authority over
10 cities"