The Colorado statesman., 1917-10-13
FOOD PLEDGE WEEK
CAMPAIGN COMING
OCTOBER Fl TO 28
Every Family Must Do Utmost to
Conserve Resources and Lend
Money to Nation So We
May Crush Enemy.
LEARN LESSONS OF ECONOMY

shington.-America's place In
the Industrial competition of nations
that will follow peace will be deter
mined In large part by the response
that the American people make to the
coming food pledge week campaign.
This Is the belief of the United States
food administration and is one Of the
thoughts that is squirting on its forces
In their preparations by enrolling the
families of the nation in the cause of
food conservation during the week of
October 81.
when the war is over" the food
administrator declared recently, "Eu-
rope will find herself with a reduced
standard of living, with people
greatly disciplined in all directions,
and in a position to compete in the
worlds markets In way that they
never have been able before. We shall
also face a world with reduced con-
suming power, and unless we can Sc
cure such discipline in our own peo-
pie, we will be in no position to meet
that condition when peace comes"
The idea that the purpose of food
saving is not alone the present one
of feeding our army and the allies, Is
further developed by the belief of the
food administration that wars are paid
for out of the savings of the people.
1t is pointed out that the decision Is
up to the American people right now,
whether they are to help pay for the
present conflict out of the savings OF
today or after the war by mortgaging
the future of the people. saving OF
six cents day per person will amount
to two billion dollars year.
If the United States were an auto
cratic country there would be no pop
| ular appeal for the conservation or
food. There would be an autocratic
| food control. The mailed fist would
rule in the kitchen. Imperial food de-
crees would be enforced at the point
of the bayonet. But ours Is not an
autocratic country. Food control Is
in the hands of the people themselves,
and 1t is to the people that the food
administration has appealed in the
food pledge card campaign.
Herbert Hoover has termed this ap-
peal an unprecedented adventure In
democracy''-an adventure that VIII
determine whether or not demo-
cratic form of government is, after all,
fitted to engage in death grappie
with autocracy.
| The food pledge week campaign re-
solves itself into an effort to secure as
a result of voluntary agreement
pledges insuring the general support
of a well-defined program of food con-
servation The food pledge week cam
paign represents an effort to induce
as many American homes as possible
| TO unite in common policy. our
wheat reserves can be conserved II
everybody helps. Our meat reserves
can be conserved If the whole public
co-operates.
The American people are asked to
ioin together in a common conserva-
tion policy. AS evidence that they are
supporting this policy they are asked
to hang a card denoting membership
in the United States food administra-
tion in their window. In order that
the conservation policy may be un-
derstood, the reasons for 1t made plain,
and the manner of observing 1t rem
dered certain, instruction cards-"The
War Greed of the Kitchen" are to be
hung in the home.
And that is what the national food
pledge week campaign is all about.