The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-06
FOOD CONTROL
PLAN FOR U. S.
Council for Defence Ready
to Carry Out President
Wilson's Ideas.
DETAILS BEING ARRANGED
Shortage of Farm Labor to Be
Observation-Disclosures Crops
Will Be Raised.

WASHINGTON, April SIN further
ance Of President Wilson's desire for
the greatest practicable cooperation with
the Allies In the war against the Ger
man Empire the Council Of National
Defence is about to undertake the forma-
ton OF regulations which not only will
insure an adequate food supply for the
United States but will give the Allies
first call on any surplusaSe. . member
Of the council said to-day.
Members Of the council feel that mas.
much as the Allies and the United States
will be fighting In q common cause the
cooperation urged by the President must
be extended beyond one of purely mill.
tary nature.
There will IN all probability be .
board or commission appointed TO have
full power in the matter OF food supply"
said the Defence Council official The
object will be to work in conjunction
with the allied officials who have the
food problem in charge and develop an
arrangement which wf1l give the United
States all the food necessary for the
subsistence OF It's people and at the
same time reliete much OF the shortage
which has been felt in the allied coun.
tries for months.
"A serious obstacle 70 big crops at
present Is the scarcity Of farm labor,
but this We expect to be able to remedy
at least in . considerable degree as soon
as u Is possible to put in operation plans
which have been under consideration for
some time.
No Danger of . Food Fsmine.
I'VE do not feel that there Is inmedi-
ate danger Of anything approaching .
rood famine. There Is q shortage of
course and prices are high. but the
enormous resources Of the country give
US confidence that there IL hardly a
problem OF this sort that cannot be met
satisfac ctorily.
The United States has been drained
OF great quantities Of foodstuffs TO feed
tne armies and civil population Of the
Entente countries. Exports also have
continued to neutral countries. There
have been waste and lack Of conservation
at home. Food supplies are below nor
NAL. The crop probably is not too bril-.
iiant, The result probably will be a
temporary Inconvenience. People will
have to forego some Of their luxuries and
Will have TO curtaIl the use OF some OF
the foods they have come TO regard ~
necessities. but this situation will be we'll
taken care of before II becomes oppres-
sive. 1t Is likely that In this situation
restrictions on food consumption will be
imposed. as has been done In the neu.
trail countries In Europe. but there is nc
cause for a food panic. There will be
enough for everybody"
Gravest concern is feit over the winter
wheat crop. Until the Government re.
port is made public on Saturday It will
be impossible to state with any accuracy
the amount Of damage that has beer
done. Some Of the unofficial reports have
been so pessimlstic that they have beer
suppressed in part. The condition un.
douhtedly is much below normal. Some
private estimates have been as low as
~ per cent. but experts say this figure
Is uuwarranted. The condition Of the
crop In December was slightly above 81
per cent. In April last season It was
1873 per cent.
Big Winter Wheat Acreage.
II there is a heavy loss. as seem.
! rather probable, 1t will be In consider
| able measure offset by the UNUSUAL!
large acreage OF winter wheat this sea
son. An acreage Of +0.0s0.O0O wa,
planted, the second largest on record.
The latest crop reports reaching Wash
, ington indicate that much acreage ha,
been abandoned in Nebraska and Kan
sas. some estimating the loss we'll abovt
90 per cent. Winter killing and drought
did large damage in some portions o.
the middle West. the West and In som'
OF the Southern States. Western Okla
| hoypa and yracfarp Kanaaa at Last ~
| ports. were st!ll too dry. Spring plant
ing 10 hampered by the lack Of farm
labor and the diff1culty of getting seed
Portions Of western and southern Texai
also have been afliicted BY the drought
There are many poor flelds in Ohio and
the central Mississippi valleys. but II
this section the condition was better q
the close OF March than at the close o.
February.
On the Pacific slope grain has mad,
poor progress and the weather was un
| favorable for winter wheat In Washing
| ton.
| on the whole the prospect is for :
somewhat smaller crop Of wheat thar
last year. while persons who have can
vassed the situation say that the Unite,
States must grow at least 200. .0O0. 90,
more bushels Of wheat than last year II
order to meet the worlds demands. Thi
outlook may be changed by an unusuall.
large planting of spring wheat. Th
farmers want to put in a big acreage
, but their ability to do SO IL largely de
pendent on the question Of farm help
They arc not planting any more thar
they think they can take care of.
France Needs l3O,OOO,0OO Bushels
Foreign countries will want NOR
wheat from the United States this yea
| than last year II 10 estimated tina
Franco will have TO import nearl
1s0. 900, 900 bushels. against 100000
bushels In 1913.
More rye was planted last fall tina,
the year before. but II has Jared poorl
IN many sections and II 10 doubtful n IN
crop will BE- much larger. The ncreaE
sown last fall vas <.2i4.0o0, agains
lS,4T4,o0o H. 1915. The condition In De
! coastsssd On SutA PaSs.