The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-11-27
America, in Keeping Allies in Fight
ing Efficiency, Must Do 1t
Out of Conservation
GREAT DUTY RESTS ON PUBLIC
Food Administrator Hartness Saws
Every Ounce of Wheat Saved is
an Ounce Released to Allies

ness of the food situation in the AL
lied we7d and consequently is not in
a position to realize the responsible
ty that is placed upon every individ /
ual 10 help in solving the great prob
lem of keeping our fighting allies sup |
piled with food
The problem of feeding the Allies |
is more serious than the food admin
! istration thought last summer it
would become Mr.. Hartner said |
THE continuance of the war, from
the Allied side, depends on the daily
and monthly arrival over there of
/ given ships which leave oar shores
! laden with the food supplies for
which there is such an imperative de- 1
/ mand If our allies are to maintain
their fighting efficiency.
The general food situation is made
doubly complex by the shortage of
ships, and it is not too much to say
that if defeat comes TO the Allies it
will be because the problem of food
and ships was not solved. The great
handicap imposed by the shipping
shortage is shown by the fact that
while there it not left in the United
States single eXportable bushel Of
wheat Chat is, net bushel now re-
mains over our normal requirements).
the Australian crop Of 1915 has only
half been moved, the 1916 export crop
has not been touched at all, and now
Australia is coming in with its 1917
yield, none of which can not yet be
tapped because we can not detach
ships for such long voyage
THE Argentine has big wheat
crop, but carrying that to Europe au-
tomatically lessons the tonnage as a
consequence of lengthening the voy-
age, and, moreover, Argentine wheat
can not become a factor before the
| middle OF January This means that
supplying the Allies with wheat be-
| comes purely a question of conserva
| ton. The United States and Canada
| must carry the load until the middle
/ OF January, and The United States
| must do ii out of conservation en-
/ tirely This means than when an in
II dividual refrains from eating a piece
II Of bread or any other food contain
II ing wheat. he is releasing just so
II much for war purposes.
H The individual may be certain that
Il this Eeans exactly what it says:
II every ounce of wheat saved is an
II ounce more for our fighting allies.
II To this narrow margin has the world 5
II available wheat supply come This
II situation places great responsibility
II on the individual American. Can there
II be normal consumption OF wheat
II foods when \ is realized that the
\ fighting nations stand in such need
II of that commodity? Shall insist up
II on bread and cake and pie when I
u know that by so doing | am depriving
fighting agency of imperatvely
= needed food?' That is the question
u the American people must ask them
4 selves continually now.
sour Allies are not asking us for
I anything they do not actually need
I and we must remember that they are
/ asking it with a right and an in
} 3istence that must be needed Amer
ca must follow in the same path Con.
4 seryatfon is now on a voluntary basis
I but how long it can remain there de-
B ponds upon the extent of the volun.
\ tary saving and whether the genera
I situation improves or becomes worse
4 But the American people should real
( ize that they have come to the part
4 ing Of the ways. Waste and unneces
I 'sary consumption of certain foods
1 must come to an end either volun
\ tarily or by some measure OF repres
Z sion.
ITO obtain picture of what a foot
! shortage means, let it be said that tn
4 recent Russian rev olution was moth
! ing but q monster food riot whic1
\ Will be followed ~ others becaus
I the transport situation is such in tina
I unhappy country that supplies can no
\ be distributed. There viii be NOR
4 suffering and revolt in the centers @
\ population the coming winter. In Ital
4 the food situation brought about riot
Z and weakened the morale Of the army
because men at the front lose thei
4 war enthusiasm when they learn tina
& dear ones at home are going hungry
Il hope the siXty-fiv thousand cd
patriotic Vermont families who signe
the food conservation pledge card wi
realize that their call to the color
- has been sounded and that they wi
. redouble their efforts along lines
- substitution and conservation sugges
n ed in the kitchen card | also HOP
II that those who did not sign the car
II for any reason will reconsider the
II action in view Of the increased ser
BUSINESS of the situation There is
definite war service of unmeasurab
II value in this conservation work. Sur,
II " we at home will not fail to mall
II the lesser sacrifice entailed in foe
H conservation when we are sending o,
II boys so freely TO make the supren
sacrifice that we may continue 10 lii
II tree people in a free land