Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-12-28
FOOD SITUATION
OF ALLIES EEST
'' SINCE WAR began
All, but Especially France, Well
Supplied With Foodstutts.
ONLY SHORTAGE IS SUGAR


Agricultural Crop in France in '*s
Condition, While the Fruit Crop 10
kbundant-Meat Now Sold on So
Called Meatlees Days-fFanoe IN no
DANGER of Coal Shortage.
On the eve Of the approaching win
ter, the fourth year Of the war, at least
three Of the great powers OF the en-
tente allies, England, France and Italy,
particularly France, are discovered III
the most favorable light with regard
to food supplies.
Whatever causes may tend to force
an end - the war, It will not be either
starvation or coal famine, as far 40
France is concerned. While the har-
vest of the most important item of all.
wheat, has not yet been completed, In
dications are that it will at least equal
last years, and preparations have al
ready been made to remedy the denclt
between the crop and the average con-
SUMPTION. Coal has been received sur
f1clent to insure the needs Of the popu'
lation and the industries for the VIM
ter. while the herds of live STOCK
throughout the republic have never
been in better condition since the out
break Of hostilities.
The scheme Of bread and coal "a
tions Instituted for the first time In
France. and which has been In force In
Germany since the inception OF tho
war, has led many people to believe
that the economic conditions OF the
country were far from satisfactory
but such is far from being the case,
and only prudence is behind the meas
urss that stern necessity imposed upon
the Teutonic empires three years ago.
A tour throughout agricultural
France reveals that crops are In ex-
ceedingly good condition, while the
fruit crop has been the largest OF any
year of the war. In some localities
pears, peaches and apples actually are
living rotting on the ground because OF
the scarcity Of labor to gather them up.
This is true of the whole OF France
except in some few isolated spots. not
areas Of any notable extent, where 10"
cal hailstorms knocked the fruit from
the trees before it had time to ripen
or where too heavy rainfalls delayed
the harvest or caused the grain to
sprout too rapidly: >=~--:.
Cattle Are Fine and Fat.
But what damage the rain and hail
have done in some areas has been more
than compensated for by the good 1t
has worked in others, where 1t has
given such an impetus to the growth
Of fodder the cattle are fine and fat,
the cows affordtng more than the usual
amount of milk. This has been made
into butter and cheese and large guam
titles Of cheeses have lately appeared
on the market at a price that called
for drop Of from 81 to So per hum
idredweight. Besides, the attractive
prices beef and mutton fetched last
winter have induced the cattlemen to
Increase and preserve their herds, with
the result that all meat prices, with
the exception of pork. have taken
downward trend.
: Even the constant requisitioning OF
cattle by the French government has
not affected the herds, as may be seen
from the fact that the government not
only promised to suspend the meatless
days on, October Is, but the police
are now tolerating the open sale OF
meat on the two so-called "meatless
days" in restaurants and hotels. In
most any restaurant in France ut least
three meat dishes may be observed on
the menu on the "meatless days." One
restaurant in popular quarter brazen-
" posted its menu on its window, as Is
the custom. advertising "Meatless day
specials! Beef la mode, Calls head,
mutton stew" thereby calling down up
on itself commentary from one Of the
newspapers, but no action by the po-
lice.
Before the war Frances annual con-
sumption Of wheat was 288,OOO,OOO
bushels. The annual production was
24O,OOO, 900 bushels, leaving deficit OF
$4,000, 900 bushels, imported from the
United States and other wheat-grow-
l0& countries. 1uIcc ycuAS u "uAAoA
reduced the average production to 174,-
200 900 bushels, or a deficit of ia, OOO,-
300 bushels. With the rationing of the
Stipulation the government experts es-
Innate they will effect saving of at
least 81 100000 bushels. The law fix
Ing the percentage Of white flour that
may be used in the baking Of bread
and the decree reqrring the immi1-
ture of oatmeal, rye, barley or buck
wheat in the loaf have cut another
s per cent at least off the consumption
Deficit 10 Reduced.
Thus subtracting the saving of 3d.
100000 bushels, the deficit is reduced
Ito 70,OOOO 900 bushels. This deficit may
be even further reduced by a voluntary
rationing of the population. The bread
cards provide an allowance Of a pound
day for each adult. This may be in
creased upon simple demand and the
statement of the consumer that bread