The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-04-10
j. S. FOOD
SITUATION
IS SERIOUS
-. OGDEN ARMOUR
Packer Urges Imme-
date Steps to Avert
a Famine
ASKS MINIMUM
PRICE TO FARMER
Government Control Is
Necessary To Avert
Disaster

CHICAGO. April l0.-De claring
that unless immediate and drastic
steps are taken to insure increased
food production the United States
will face a shortage approaching &C
tual famine. j. ogden Armour OF
Chicago. has issues an appeal for
public cooperation 10 secure the
greatest possible crop for 1917.
The food shortage is world.
wide" said Mr.. Armour. ''Produc-
ton in Europe is worse than cut in
half by the war. In the Argentine,
there have been droughts and great
losses OF grain and cattle In our
country the winter wheat crop has
been badly damaged by cold wealth.
er.
Now we have entered the war.
Our first duty. as see il Is 10
make certain that both our own
people and our allies have an abun-
dant food supply.
With full recognition Of the fact
that we are facing the most critical
days In our national history. say
the question OF food supply is the
most pressing and important be
fore Va. From a purely war stand
point. even. food preparedness seems
TO me quite as important and more
pressing than military prepared
ness
IF we start az onee-this week
we still have time to vastly in
crease our food production not only
for the fall and winter but for
the years which come after and
which may be even more critical
Because the time is so short and
the situation so dangerous. favor
government supervision and control
VI food production and food prices.
They have been forced 10 come TO
that in Europe Let Us do IL before
we are compelled to do so.
The prices OF wheat, corn. live
stock and other food products have
broken away from any control but
that OF the government. Let the
government. for instance. OK the
Wholesale prices OF all meat prod
ucts. That would probably result
IN an automatic regulation OF all
prices. from the producer TO the
consumer. II n failed to do so,
further government action might be
necessary.
Let the government. say. guar.
antee 10 the farmers a minimum
price OF $50 a bushel for all the
wheat they can raise. II would be a
perfectly safe thing TO do. II would
not cost the government q cent
These are radical suggestions.
But this is an emergency which
nothing but radical remedies will
meet. There are firms whose
profits would be cut, but in the
present situation the individual will
have 20 suffer, 40 long az benefit
TO the mass Of the people results
There should be a vastly increas.
ed crop OF spring wheat sowed.
Primers all through the great
spring wheat belt OF the northwest
should be persuaded and urged. as
patriotic duty. 10 double their
acreage In wheat There Is still
time TO save the situation so far a.
wheat IL concerned during the pres
ent crop year. No one need fear.
even II the government does not
guarantee him minimum price,
that he will fail 10 find bis wheat
crop profitable The world must
have bread
Patriotic women should establish
regimen OF strict economy in
the household n people who now
waste focdstuffs would stop that
waste. prices would BE- lowered and
there would be more than enough
10 go around among the whole popu-
lation.
Unless the United States wishes
TO walk deliberately into a catastro-
phe. the best brains Of the country.
under government direction. must
Immediately devise means OF in.
ereasinE and conserving our food
.upply"