The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-20
Side Best Able to Control
Food win BE Victor,
Is Prophecy.
NORTHCLIFEE TELLS
OF WAR. EMERGENCIES
Shoes Last but One Month,
Rifle Only Six Weeks,
In Trenches.

Atlantic City. N. j.. Sept. 19.-Her-
bert Hoover, the food administrator.
at the war convention Of the Cham
ber OF Commerce OF the United States,
tonight declared mat starvation would
win the war and the side best able to
organize It's resources for food pro-
ducti0n and conservation would come
out victor.
"The food situation of America and
the allies Is SUCH" said Mr.. Hoover.
that the neutral countries Of northern
Europe cannot hope to get food from
the United States unless they expect
to furnish equivalent service in other
directions to the common pool against
Germany"
Lord Northcliffe, head of the Brit
ish commission in this country, told
of his work as purchasing agent for
Great Britain and how he is spending
between 80 and 60 million dollars u
week. He also described some fun
Qamental changes in industry that the
war has caused in Great Britain and
said that some of these changes would
take place also in the United States.
Food Real Weapon Of War.
Food" said Mr.. Hoover. has, since
the war began, gradually assumed
larger place in the economics, the
statesnlanship and the strategy of
warfare. The winning of the war is
largely problem OF who can organize
this weapon.
IF the extremely high prices thun-
derings at every door were not a suf-
ficient demonstration. it is possible by
actual figures to prove that we have
been exporting In many commodities
actually beyond our capacity to pro.
ducc. During the last year we have
exported every last ounce of which
the country. during this period. was
capable of producing and our national
stock of cereals and animal products,
proportionate to our population, was
at the beginning of this harvest the
lowest in our history and many Of us
have been under the keenest anxiety
lest we would face absolute shortage.
This anxious period is now happily
passed"
War Great Business.
lAOlu ANOIluClAlc csLlu IHuI, sluc
United States, as did England, would
come to q realization that war is
great business enterprise and that this
country must draw on Its best re-
sources In chemistry. engineering,
transportation. manufacturing and
distribution.
Almost all of the industries In our
country" Lord Northcliffe said, "have
been remade by the war
This war Is the greatest business
the world ever knew. Let me tell you
that you will have to furnish between
five and six pairs of shoes year In
the easiest parts Of the lines at the
front and IL pairs a year at the hard
parts for each of the 100000 or 100000
men you will have on the front in
six months" %
Lord Northcliffe pointed out that the
average life Of rifle is six weeks as
one instance In addition to those al
ready cited Of the amount of business
organization that must be created in
the United States on account Of the
war.
Buying Committee Advised.
Creating great committee Of busi-
ness men representing all branches of
industries to deal directly with the
government In war purchases, was pro-
posed in resolution adopted today
by the Manufacturers section of the
war convention Of American business
men here. A central government pur-
chasing agency to take over the func-
tion Of the war industries board and
the purchasing departments Of the
army and navy also was recommended.
The resolutions will come before the
full convention Friday.
Renewed demands were made at Sec
tional meeting today for war price
policy that will mean the same prices
for private purchasers as for the gov
ernment and for priority law that
will give the government authority to
cut off supplies to non-essential In
dustries.
Urge Forced Arbitration.
Resolutions to be introduced tomor-
row will demand that the government
before 1t goes further with price fix
ing. make arraaGements to deal with
the labor situation. Labor. speakers
declared. forms the base of production
costs and cannot be ignored in setting
up prices the government and publi,
will pay for goods. Forced arbitration
of labor disputes also was advocated
T.