The Benson signal., 1917-08-25
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.

from the DOOR.
Washington, Aug. 20.-Herbert G.
Hoover, United States food admins
traitor, today issued to the American
public his statement covering the food
situation as it 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 a
problem in every phase of it's produc-
ton, handling and consumption. 1t is
a 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, it is problem with
three great groups of nations, namely,
the allies, the central empires and the
neutrals; in word it is a great inter-
national problem.
The food problem today of our own
nation, therefore has as it's most con-
spicuOus phase an international charac-
ter. A sufficient and regular supply
of food for the maintenance of the
great field armies of our fighting allies
apd 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 an 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 in 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 a marked
between the food needs and the food
production of the allies becomes great
er than ever, with the consequence Of
a large increase in the food quantities
imperatively needed from the United
States if the allied armies are to be
able to "carry on"
Worlds Larder Examined.
This is a general statement of con-
dition which only needs to be elabor
ated in detail to show just what we
10
this detailed statement can be made.
Our harvest and the harvests of Eu-
rope can now be forecast. We can
also survey our combined stocks of
food animals; in other words, the size
of that part of the worlds larder on
which we and the allies can draw for
the next twelve months can now be es-
timated. This estimate shows at once
that it contains too little for our own
and our allies use unless we all ad-
minister the supply with the greatest
care and wisdom. The allied peoples
are energetically undertaking this ad-
ministration. 1t lies now with us to
do our part. If we fail, the people of
the allies cannot be maintained at war.
Their soldiers cannot fight without
food. A certain definitely determina-
BILE part of that food must come from
us. et>us then examine carefully the
worlds larder as it appears today, Or
so much of it as is at our disposal.
/ propose to review the situation
first, as regards the cereals, second, as
ucts, third, as regards sugar. fourth
as regards vegetables, fifth, as regards
fish and sea foods, and, finally, as re-
CARDS our duty in the matter.
Cereals.
The 1917 harvest is now so far ad-
vanced that we may compare it with
previous production, and with the de-
mands which are going to be made on
it.
Table No. 1 is given to show the
normal peace sources of the annual
supplies of France, Italy, the United
Kingdom and Belgium, being an aver
age of the three-year pre-war period.
1t will be seen from this table that
the normal imports of wheat are $751;
100000 bushels and of other cereals
345,OOO,OOO bushels. The estimate of
the 1917 harvest in the allied countries
based upon crop reports from these
countries, is as follows:
PROBABLE Av nor Deficiency
Com 1917 pro- mai pro- in prodn.
modify. duction duction. due to war.
Wheat =. 1893, 10000 $50, ,675 900 1969O5, 900
Corn .... 81, ,464, 900 121 100000 26.645, 900
Oats 900. 337, ,235 900 $40, 800 900 233, ,655, 900
Barley -. SO, ,5S5, 900 125, POI 900 31616, 900
Rye ..... Al, 900 7S,5730OO 36841, 900
Total 1850, ,7S6, 900 1,4S6, ,44S, 900 525 662, 900
In order to provide normal cOnsump-
tior r. would thorofOrn ho nocoSSarv tO