The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-18
Allies Must Have Foods or
Quit Fighting, Says
Atkinson.
FRANCE AND ITALY
FACE STARVATION
Germany Will Try to Beat
Allies With Hunger
This Year.

victory Tor the KAISER, ana an lncOn =
elusive peace cannot be avoided unless
the allies of the United States are sup
piled with food, Alfred Atkinson, food
administrator for Montana, told a Mis-
soula audience in the Missoula theateI
last night.
Germany is seeking not peace but {,
truce" he said. IF the war ends now
Germany will have won. and the world
will have to prepare for another war;
Trying to Starve Allies.
Germany will try to force q
patched-up peace this winter by put
ting France and Italy out of the war,
the speaker continued. "And the one
way of accomplishing this is through
hunger. Italy is already at the food
riot stage. France is in great distress.
Unless we want to face this thing
alone, or accept an insecure peace, we
must give our allies the food they
need"
Professor Atkinson spoke at the
Missoula theater under the auspices of
the Odd Fellows of the city His audi
ence was lamentably small because of
the weather and the fact that the
chamber Of commerce was holding it's
annual meeting at the same time.
The address was powerful and con-
vincing.
Must Fight to Victory.
"The Prussian theory of government
is intolerable to U.S." said Professor
Atkinson. I'VE and the other democ-
racies of the world are now fighting
that theory and we must fight
through to victory. That victory will
be delayed hopelessly if we permit our
allies to be forced into peace. And
they will be forced into peace unless
they get from us the food they need
"At the last conference of the state
food administrators in Washington
Herbert Hoover said to us:
Allies Must Have Wheat.
Gentleman, we have already
shipped to Europe 100000 bushels
of wheat more than we should have
shipped--if this country is going to
consume it's normal amount. But that
is not all. We must ship 100,000,000
bushels more.
That he continued, SIS not dcbata :
bic. 1t is a fact. Our allies must have
that wheat If THEY ARE TO STAY
IN THE WAR;"
Germany Not Starving.
The hope of the American people foI
the starvation of Germany is not vel
founded. tho speaker said. Germany
is better off today than the other Eu-
ropean nations. TO be sure, Germany
is short of fats, but SO are the others
AS far as food. generally speaking, is
concerned, Germany is we'll supplied.
THE nations in danger of starva
ton into peace are France and Italy
~ thnu ave n hold mo
must give them:
Wheat,
Meat.
Fats
Sugar"
Substitutes Can't Be Too High.
Professor Atkinson referred brefl,
to the. cost OF substitutes for these arti.
cles. Naturally, as the demand fol
them increases, fish and cornmeal ant
other substitutes increase in price. The
food administration is beseiged will
letters asking why these prices arr
not controlled. Unfortunately con.
sress has not granted the administra
tion that power, Wheat only can b,
controlled"
A high price for wheat must, the ad
ministrator said. cause high prices fo
ttnCT COmnOultlcS, even II congress
grants the desired price fixing author
tiles to the food administration.
But even then" he said SHOULD W,
let cost deter as? We are sendin,
our boys over there into battle. The,
are not talking of pay. Are we. a
home, going to lengthen the war o
bring about a dangerous peace by re
fusins to save the foods our allies nee
just because the substitutes are NOR
cXpensive?"
Mrs. Bush Offers Aid.
Mrs. Clara Bush, home demonstca
ticn agent for Missoula county, spok
briefly Of food economy, offering he
services to the housewives of tn
county.
Professor Atkinson was introduce
by J. f. Parker. representative Of tn
Odd Fellows.
Musical numbers were given b
Miss Ethel Hughes and Quincy Scot
vocalists. and Professor Cecil Bul
leigh, violinist.
ER1ls AND wll llAM& DRAW