The Benson signal., 1917-10-20
Save FOOD and
LEND YOUR COIN
Hoover's Men Will Make Big,
Drive Throughout Nation for
Sale of New Bonds.
YOU CAN HELP WHIP KAISER
Great Program Is Outlined for Food.
Pledge Week Campaign, October
Fl to 28-Those Who Fight
Must Be Fed.

Washington.-Ten million food con-
Servation pledges Twenty-Five million
homes visited! A national campaign
projected so large in it's scope that the
work to be accomplished is as great
as though census Of the country were
to be taken in u week
Such is the program outlined for
the food pledge week campaign, Oc-
tOber p to g.
What is it all about?
Why so much fuss?
What are the motives back Of such
a tremendous drive?
In every state thousands of people
are asking these questions while thou
sands of others are preparing them
selves to furnish a complete answer
to the query.
The reasons why the food pledge
campaign has been projected upon such
broad lines are simple enough; plain
enough.
So simple and so plain that they
nave Uccu SLdLcu LII IuC SOAAP0o0 Va -
card-a card that it is proposed to
hang in every home Of the land-a
card that is the ''war creed Of the
Kitchen" because, so closely are the
people in this country linked to the
world war, that one of the phases OF
the struggle must be fought out IN
the American kitchen.
If soldiers are to fight they must be
fed. For the past three years, one by
one, our allies across the sea have
been taking the men from the farm
and from the factory and sending them
to the firing line. Each man sent to
the firing line meant one less who
could be relied upon to help produce
the food that twill win the war;"
There are stores of wheat in Aus
tralia. There is food in South Amer
lea. but ships are scarce. Time is
vital factor. The voyage to Australia
and to South America takes too long.
If the needs Of those who fight for us
across the sea are to be met, the food
that sustains those fighters must come
from this country.
If the laborer is worthy of his hire,
surely the fighter is worthy of his food.
That is a principle universally accept
ed by the American public. However,
it is not every product that can be
sent across the sea. Corn Will not
serve the need; our allies have never
used it as food; they have no mills
to grind it; turn it into meal in this
country and it would spoil before 1t
could reach an European port. There
are just four classes of products, the
experts say, that we must send to our
allies if our duty to them is to be dis
charged; they need meat, wheat, sugar
and dairy products. We can conserve
our wheat by increasing our consump-
ton of other grains. We can conserve
our meat by making a greater demand
upon the resources Of the fish market.
If the United States were an auto
cratic country there would be no pop
ular appeal for the conservation of
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 it 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 will
determine whether or not democratic
form of government Is, after all, fitted
to engage in a death grapple with an
autocracy.
The food pledge work campaign re-
solves itself into an effort to secure as
a result of voluntary agreement
pledges insuring the general support
for a we'll defined program Of food con-
servation. The food pledge week cam
paign represents an effort to induce as
many of the American homes as pos
sible to unite in common policy. Our
wheat reserves can be conserved If
everybody helps.
The American people are asked to
Join together in common conserva-
ton policy. AS evidence that they are
supporting this policy they are asked
to hang card denoting membership
in the United States food administra-
ton in their window. In order that
the conservation policy may be under
stood, the reasons for it made plain,
and the manner of observing it rem
dered certain, Instruction cards-"The
War Creed of the Kitchen"-are to be
hung in the home.
And that is what the national food
o1odro wool oamDaipn is all ahOut