The Dermott news., 1917-08-23
Important Message to People From Herbert c. Hoover,
 Administrator.
WORLD SUPPLIES ESTIMATED
Increased Production, Elimination Of Waste and Careful Control Of Food Exports Form the Solution
 of This War Problem.

Washington, Aug. 20.-What the peo- pie of the United States not only can but must do In the matter of food pro luction and use In order to help win the war is set forth in detail ln Il statement issued today by Food Ad- ministrator Herbert C. Hoover. If we fail to do our part in this respect. he says, the people of the allies cannot be maintained at war, for their soldiers cannot fight without food.
 The normal imports of wheat and other cereals by France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Belgium. and the estimates of the 1917 crop in those countries compared to the normal pro duction are given by Mir. Hoover in tabulated form, and the conclusion Is drawn that in order to provide normal consumption it will be necessary for them to import in the next 12 months 577,000,000 bushels of wheat and 674 100000 bushels of other cere als. If the crops of the United States and Canada all mature safely, North America will have an apparent sur plus of 20S00o.0O0 bushels of wheat and 950.0O0,000 bushels of other cere- als. The allies, therefore, must use other cereals than wheat for mixing in their war bread. and the people of America must reduce their consump- tion of wheat flour from five to four pounds per week per person.
 Decrease in Food Animals.
 A careful estimate of the worlds food animal position shows total net decrease of 115,005,0o0, and this will be greater as the war goes on. As the increase of herds and tiocks takes years, we must reduce the consump- tion, eliminate waste and carefully con trol meat exports.
 Our home dairy products supplies are decreasing, while our population Is increasing, and we must ship in- creasing amounts of such products to our allies. Consequently this indus try must be stimulated. and home users must save the wastes in milk and butter. Much the same may be said in the case of sugar.
 Mir. Hoover urges greater con SutliDLlON Ul uS1 anu Sth Apoho' III which our coasts and lakes are enor- mously rich. The products of the land. he reminds us, are conserved by the eating of those of the sea.
 Our Duty.
 In conclusion the food administrator says:
 have endeavored to show in previ- ous articles that the world Is short Of food: that Europe is confronted with the grim specter of starvation unless from our abundance and our waste we keen the wolf from the door. Not only must we have proper use of our food supply in order that we may furnish our allies with the sinews with which they may fight our battles, but 1t Is an act of humanity towards fellow men. women and children.
 X By the diversion of millions of men from production to war, by the occu- patton of land by armies, by the iso- lation of markets. by bellgerent lines, and by the destruction of shipping by submarines, not only has the home pro duction of our allies fallen by over 10000 GOO bushels of grain, but they are thrown upon us for much larger proportion of their normal imports for merly obtained from other markets,
 They have reduced consumption at every point. but men in the trenches, men In the shops, and the millions of women placed at physical labor re- uuire more food than during peace times. and the incidence of their saving and any shortage which they may suf- fer. falls first upon women and chil- dren. If this privation becomes too great, their peoples cannot he main tained constant in the war, and we will be left alone to fight the battle of democracy with Germany.
 The problem of food conservation Is one of many compexions. We cannot, and we do not wish. with our free in- stitutions and our large resources of food. to initiate Europe In It's policed rationing, but we must voluntarily and intelligently assume the responsibility before us as one in which everyone has a direct and unacceptable interest We must increase our export of foods to the allies. and in the circumstances of our shipping situation. these exports must be of the most concentrated foods. These are wheat. flour. beef pork and dairy products. We have oth CT foods In great abundance which we can use instead of these commodities and we can prevent wastes ia thou aand directions. We must guard the