The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-08-23

The final result of substituting other
products and saving one pound OF
wheat -four, two ounces Of fats, seven
ounces Of sugar and seven ounces OF
meat weekly, by each person. will,
when we have multiplied this by one
hundred million. have increased our
exports to the amounts absolutely re-
quired by our allies. This means no
more than that we should eat plenty,
but eat wisely and without waste.
Food conservation has other aspects
Of utmost importance. Wars must be
paid for by savings. We must save
in the consumption in commodities and
the consumption Of unprOductive la
Dor in order that we may divert our
manhood to the army and to the shops.
If by the reduction in consumption OF
labor and the commodities that II pro-
duceS aid the diversion Of this saving
to that labor and those commodities
demanded by the war. we shall be able
to fight 70 eternity We can mortgage
our furure savings for a little while,
but piling up of mortgages is hut
short step toward bankruptcy. Every
atom that we save is available for sub
scription to Liberty bonds.
The whole Of Europe has been en-
gagged ever since the war began in the
elimination of waste, the simpliticatiOn
of life, and the increase of its indus
trial capacity. When the war is over
the consuming power of the world will
be reduced by the loss Of prosperity
| and man power, and we shall enter Il
| period of competition without parallel
In ferOcity. After the war, we must
maintain our foreign markets if our
| working people are TO be employed.
| We shall be in no position to compete
| If we continue to live on the same
basis of waste and extravaganza on
temperate living is a moral issue of the
first order at any time, and any other
basis Of conduct during the war be-
| comes a wrong against the interest of
the country and the interest of
democracy.
The impact of the food shortage of
Europe has knocked at every door of
the United States during the past three
| years. The prices of fOOdstuffs have
nearly doubled, and the reverberatiOns
of Europes increasing shortage would
have Numbered twice as loudly dur
| ing the coming year even had we not
entered the war, and it can now only
be mitigated if we can exert a strong
control and this in many directions.
We are today in an era of high
prices. We nust maintain prices at
such level as will stimulate produc-
ton, for we are faced by a starving
world and the value of Il commodity tG
the hungry is greater than its price.
AS n result of the world shortage OF
supplies, our consumers have suffered
from speculation and eXtOrtioN While
wages for some kinds Of labor have
increased with the rise in food prices
in others, it has been difficult to main
tain our high standard Of nutrition.
BY the elimination of waste in al
classes, by the reduction in the con
sumption of foodstuffs by the more for
tunate, we shall increase our supplies
not only for export but for home, ant
by increased supplies we can help II
the amelioration of prices.
For Better Distribution.
Beyond this the duty has been laiC
upon the food administration to coop
crate with the patriotic men in trades
and commerce, that we may eliminate
the evils which have grown into ou
system of distribution, that the bur
den may fall equitably upon all by res
toration, so far as may be, of the nor
nal course of trade. 1t is the purpose
of the food administration to use 1T
utmost power and the utmost abilit.
that patriotism can assemble to ameli
crate this situation to such degree a
may be possible.
The food administration is assem-
bling the best expert advice In tn
country on home economics, on foot
utilization, on trade practices ant
trade wastes, and on the conduct o
public eating places, and we shall out
line from time to time detailed Sugges
tiOns, which if honestly carried out b,
such individuals in the country we be
lieve will effect the result which w
must attain. We are asking ever
home, every public eating place ant
many trades, to sign pledge carr
to accept these directions, so far a
their circumstances permit, and we ar
organizing various instrumentalitieS t
ameliorate speculation. We are ask
ing the men Of the country who ar
not actually engaged in the handlin
of food to sign similar pledges tina
they shall see to it, so far as they ar
able, that these directions are followed
We are asking all who wish us we
and who undertake our service to be
come actual members Of the food aC
ministration, just as much volunteer
in national service as we ourselves arr
so that thus the food adminlstratiO
may not be composed of a small bod
of men in Washington and a slAd
representation in each state, but ma
become a body of 5O,OOO,OO0 people
devoted absolutely to the services c
democracy. We hope to see the il
, sigma of membership in every patr
otic window in the country.
Autocracy finds its strength in i
ability to impose organization /
force from the top. The essence {
democracy consists in the applicable
of the initiative in its own people.
: individualism cannot be so organize
/ as to defend itself, then democracy is
r faith which cannot stand. We al
seeking to impose no organization fro
t the top. We are asking the America
people to organize from the bottom u