Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-04-27

being the lowest on record, according
4 to the government estimate as OF
April l.
! Hard to Realize.
AS suggested by E. F. Benson,
state commissioner of agriculture, in
letter to newspapers the other day
''It is difficult for people of this state
to comprehend the possibility of a
food crisis in the United States. We
are apt to feel that this country has
such a surplus that the question with
us is how to get rid of the surplus at
good price," he adds, land not how
to get a greater surplus, but we must
not close our eyes to the seriousness
of the problem.
"An actual food shortage con-
fronts the people of this nation" he
continues. 1.-THE winter wheat OF
the East is alarmingly short. Our
winter wheat in this state is only so
per cent of full prospect"
Meat Supply Is Short.
Along this same line is the official
announcement of Secretary of Agri-
culture Houston that Americas meat
supply is 1O0.000,000 pounds short,
due primarily to disease among cat
tie, principally foot and mouth dis
east and the Southern tick, and the
department is putting under way
strenuous efforts to increase the ma
tons meat production. Otherwise
the United States. faced by the short
age and the necessity of feeding Eu-
ropes large armies, will have to con-
vert itself to vegetarianism, Secre-
tary Houston declares.
Perhaps the most comprehensive
review of the situation Is that given
in the April 16 bulletin Of the Ma
tional City Bank of New York, the
largest financial institution of the
United States, which in addition to
receiving detailed and accurate re-
ports of crop conditions from all
parts of the United States, maintains
a corps of correspondents throughout
Europe and has a number of branch
banks in various parts of the world.
A copy Of this bulletin was received
by the Olympia National bank last
week.
1.-THE situation" It declares,
grows more serious as spring ad-
vances. All Of Europe-neutrals as
we'll as warning countries-has been
placed upon food rations to exc out
supplies until the new crop is har-
vested. This country entered the
present crop year last July with
164, 100000 bushels of wheat car
Red over from the crop Of 1915. and
in 1915 produced 4S2,O00,000 bush.
els Of winter wheat and 100000
of spring wheat; total supply. 804,-
100000.
No Wheat Carried Over.
"This year there will be practical
ly no wheat carried over and the gov
ernment's estimate lpon the winter
crop forecasts a yield of only $780,
100000. On this basis the spring
wheat crop must be 214.000,000
bushels larger than last year in order
to give US a wheat supply equal to
what we will export and consume in
the crop year now closing.
This is an alarming outlook. The
spring wheat crop is notoriously sub
ject to weather conditions. More
spring wheat should be sown, but it
is doubtful II the wheat shortage can
be made up. Other food crops must
be grown to meet the deficiency.
"This country is now at war and
our allies, Belgium, Great Britain,
France and Italy. are dependent upon
us for food. They will have no re-
serves and must have more from US
in the coming year than In the past,
or they will not be able to feed all
their people. Added to the appeals
OF starving humanity will be military
reasons making it impossible for US
to put an embargo upon the exporta-
ton of food.
I'VE must divide what we grow
this year with these countries and
with the neutral countries-Holland
Denmark, Norway, Sweden. Switzer-
land and Spain-which are not self
sustaining in grain supplies. And
not only must we supply enough to
keep those peoples from starving. but
enough to cover the heavy losses at
sea which result from submarine
warfare.
situation Not Dreamed OF.
TT We crow no more food than