The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-05-31
THE FOOD SUPPLY AND The
HUMAN SUBMARINE
BY Henry w. Farnam, Professor
Of Economics. Yale University


Of Economies, Yale University
The world Is now facing food
shortage which is due in part TO a
falling Oft in production, in part to
the ruthless destruction Of food ships
by the German submarines. In some
way the world must try to get more
food, and the appeals to women An ]
children to apply their labor to the
solution Of the problem by cultiva-
ting back yards and odd corners de-
serve every consideration. But there
is another way Of helping the situa-
ton which requires no additional
labor. but simply an exercise OF will
power on the part Of the consumer.
In the last resort, the consumer Is
the real food dictator and his wishes
determine the course Of all produr-
ton. If he elects io spend his money
for that which is not bread, the
producers will try to meet his de-
mand. and so much Of the productive
force Of the country as might be
used for food will be used in other
ways.
The consumer of whiskey decrccd
last year that our distillerics should
use up 30 million bushels Of grain
of various kinds corn, rye, malt,
ETC.. as well as 1852 million gallons
of molasses. Our breweries produc-
ed 5S,Oo0,OO0 barrels Of fermented
liquors. which. according to an ad-
vcrtisemcnt published by the Con-
nccticut Brewers Association in the
New Haven Register of May 6, re-
duired 52.W0.OO0 bushels Of barley,
nearly 100000 bushels of corn and
:, OOO.Oo0 bushels of rice or 1O,WO,OOO
bushels of grain in all. Other esti-
mates are higher. but | have taken
the figures Of the brewers in order to
avoid the charge Of exagcratiun. In
other words. the consumers Of alco-
holic drink used up about iO9,Oo0,0OO
bushels of edible grain in addition
tn the molasscs. all Of which had to
be withdrawn from human cOnsump-
ton "a food, though a part Of the
refuse went into food for live stock.
The grain used for liquor, If used
directly for human consumption,
would have supplied a bushel apiece
for every man woman and child in
the country. or about four bushels
for an average family.
The users of tobacco in its various
forms required for their satisfaction
the use of i.36S.OoO aces Of land in
1915, and the area used in 1916 was
probably more rather than less The
acreage devoted TO tobacco wa about
a third Of the acreage devoted to
potatoes in 1915. II We assume a
crop Of only 30 bushels to the acre.
which is less than the average crop
OF the United States, this land was
capable Of giving us i09,OO,OOO
bushels Of potatoes, or more than \
third Of the crop Of 1916. This would
supply each family of four persons
with four bushels Of potatoes a year.
Not only is the amount OF land de-
voted TO the production of tobacco
very large, but il is increasing. Since
1905, the acreage devoted to this
plant has increased by about rs per
cent in the United States, while the
acreage devoted to potatoes has in
creased by about % per cent. have
selected potatoes as convenient OBJ
ject of comparison because it is a
familiar and standard product All
OF the land devoted TO tobacco may
not be well adapted to potatoes, but
il is fair assumption that land on
which tobacco can be raised could
be available for some kind OF food
crop, provided only the consumers
would exercise a demand which
would make il more profitable for
the farmer TO raise food than to-