The Jasper weekly courier., 1917-10-19
HOOVER TELLS OF
FOOD SITUATION
Administrator Issues Message
on Conservation.
is GREAT PROBLEM OF WAR
Americas Production and Needs Of the
Allied Nations Set Forth-What
We Must Do to Keep Wolf
From the Door.

Washington. Aug. 20.-Herbert c.
Hoover, United States food admins
traitor. today issued To the American
public his statement covering the food
situation as IL now exists and the ne
cessity OF conserving the food re-
sources of the nation to provide for
the future during the continuance OF
the war. The statement follows:
Food Is always more or less OF q
problem I'm every phase of its produc-
ti0n. handling and consumption. II Is
n problem with every farmer. every
transporter and seller, every house
holder. 1t is a problem with every
town, state and nation. And now, very
conspicuously. 1t is n problem with
three great groups OF nations, namely,
the allies. the central empires and the
neutrals; In word Ii Is great inter-
national problem.
The food problem today of 0ur own
nation. therefore has AS it's most con-
spicu0us phase IN international charac-
ter. A sufficient and regular supply
Of food for the maintenance OF the
great field armies of our fighting allies
and OF their no less great armies OF
working men and working women in
the war industries, and finally for the
maintenance OF the women and chill
dren In the home, Is 81 absolute ne
cessity. second to no other, for the
successful prosecution Of the war for
liberty. In the providing OF this food
for the great allied food pool. the Unit
ed States plays predominant part.
With the present diversion of tens OF
millions of men from the farms into
the fighting and industrial armies, re-
sultIng I'm "A marked lessening Of food
production. and the present necessity
of increasing the daily ration OF other
millions OF men turned from sedentary
occupations into those of strenuous
physical labor, resulting In n marked
increase of consumption. this deficiency
between the food needs and the food
production OF the allies becomes great
cr than ever, with the consequence OF
n large increase I'm the food quantities
imperatively needed from the United
States IL the allied armies are TO be
able to "carry on"
Worlds Larder Examined.
This is "A general statement of n con
ditI0n which only needs Co be elabor.
ated In detail To show just what We
have To do. The time has come when
this detailed statement can be made
Our harvest and the harvests of Eu
rope can now be forecast. We car
also survey our combined stocks OF
food animals; in other words, the size
of that part of the worlds larder or
which we and the allies can draw fol
the next twelve months can now be es
timated. This estimate shows ut once
that Ii contains too little for our owl
and our allies use unless we all al
minister the supply with the creates
care AMI wisdom. The allied people.
are energetically undertaking this ad
ministration. II lies now with us Il
do our part L. We fail. the people o.
the allies cannot be maintained ut war
Their soldiers cannot fight withOu
food. A certain definitely determine
bic part of that food must come from
us. Let Us then examine carefully tn
worlds larder as Ii appears today. o
so much of Ii as Is at our disposal.
I propose TO review the situatiol
first. as regards the cereals. second. q
regards food animals and their prod
ucts. third. as regards sugar, fourth
as regards vegetables. fifth as regard
fish and sea foods. and. finally. as re
CARDS our duty in the matter.
Cereals
The 1917 harvest is now so far al
vanced that we may compare ii wit
previous production. and with the Gle
mands which are going To be made o
Ii.
Table No. i Is given TO show tn
normal peace sources OF the annua
supplies of France. Italy. the Unite
Kingdom and Belgium. being an aver
age of the three-year pre-war period
1t will be seen from this table tina
the normal imports OF wheat are 3S1
100000 bushels and Of other cereal
$4,000. 900 bushels. The estimate o
the 1917 harvest In the allied cOuntrie
based upon crop reports from thes
countries. is as follows:
Probable Av. nor Dehcienc