The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-10-26
Mr.. HOOVER WAS roo SUDDEN

Springfield State Register: Food
Administrator Hoover is being criti-
cised in some quarters for his seem
ing over-anxiety to provide food for
Great Britain and France at the ex-
pense of the deprivation of the people
of the United States. The State
Register does not think that in most
cases this criticism is just. But in
the matter Of the very important
article Of sugar, an article of which
lie United States does not produce
enough for its own use, Mr. Hoover
oyerstepped the bounds of prudence
by permitting the expectation of tons
of sugar to the entente allies when
there was no certainty Of our receiv-
ing a sufficient supply from Cuba,
and the product of the western beet
sugar factories, it was understood,
would be short on account of partial
failure of the sugar beet crops 1t
would have been wise for Mr.. Hoover
to withhold his permission to export
this large shipment of sugar to
Europe until he ascertained the
amount that could be spared with
out causing sugar famine. His an
nouncement in Sunday mornings
press reports OF the sugar famine
existing in the east and the conse-
uuent necessity Of the people Of the
west refraining from the use of sugar
whenever possible was premature,
and has done much to hasten instead
of preventing a scarcity of sugar in
the west.
An illustration of how Mr.. Hoover's
Sunday morning announcement work
ed in Springfield and probably in
other cities, when grocers opened
their stores for an hour or two on
Sunday morning, is the record of a
grocery store in the western portion
of the city. The store had scarcely
opened it's doors Sunday morning
when customers came in to lay in a
supply of sugar for home use and
continued to come until the grocer's
stock was entirely exhausted. The
customers, mostly women, bought
sugar in quantities from 25 pounds
to 100 pounds. How many thousands
OF pounds of sugar was purchased in
Springfield on Sunday and early Mon
day morning is not known, but the
fact that this one store sold out its
entire stock doubtless proves that
the amount of sugar stored away by
prudent housewives was large. 1t is
natural for people to try and protect
themselves and the result of Mr..
Hoover's announcement In other
cities, towns and villages must be
similar to that in Springfield. This
could have been avoided IL Mr..
Hoover had confined his very impor-
tant announcement of a possible
sugar famine to retail dealers and
not depended upon the unselfish re-
linouishment of the use of sugar by
the general public
Starting cry Of sugar famine"
works like starting a cry of fire. 1t
makes people rush to protect their
own premises from the famine, for
the law of self-preservation is the
first law of nature. 1t is not always
good thing to obey that law.
The State Register is inclined to
discredit Mr. Hoover's famine story,
although no doubt he believes it to
be true. It is probable there will be
no sugar famine. But if 1t does
come there are worse things that
might occur The people of the
United States swallow too much
sugar anyway. They would enjoy
better health if they used less, and
this would be a valuable compensa-
ton for doing without sugar.