The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-15
CHANGING FOOD
HABITS Big TASK
FOR AMERICANS
(By Federal Food Administration
For North Dakota.l

(By Federal Food Administration
For North Dakota.l
You ask hundred million people
to change. within the course Of a few
months, their eating habits, and you
demand something that is absolutely
vital, but it Is the most dificuIt thing
you could ask of people and you
have got to make IL work and you
have wonderful machine set up
with which to do it,.
DR.. r. l.. Wilbur, president of
Leland Stanford university, speaking
at a conference OF the food admins.
traitors from the various states, IN
Washington, Nov. 10. put the problem
Of the food administration in NUT
shell in the foregoing statement. To
change the food habits of a nation
in few months is a stupendous un-
dertaking but it is the task which
has been placed upon the shoulders
Of n. G. Hoover, United States food
administrator and his assistants at
Washington and throughout the var
tous states.
Why are we asked to change our
food habits?
Shipping and Food Shortage.
Many Americans now understand
that, as DR.. Wilbur stated In another
part of his address. I'VE may lose
this war before we are fairly in II,
simply on the basis OF the food short
age Of the world. With the shipping
shortage and the food shortage no
one can fOresee whether we are ro-
ing TO get through and still be at
war next summer.
'As matter of fact there is
very grave chance that the allies
may lose the war IL the American
people, through indifference, through
ignorance or through wiIlful refusal
to co-operate, do not conserve the
precious food supply. The latter
proposition Is unthinkahIe. The,
American people win not allow the
food supply to be wasted when they
understand the vital need for saving
IL, and it is TO see that they are
thoroughly informed that much of
the wonderful machine to which DIR.
Wilbur referred. Is now deyoting its
America che Food Sin.
"0ne OF the first duties of the food
conservation machine is to gather.
statistics, to secure and compile the.
exact facts, from figures gathered
from Official and thoroughly reliable
sources from all parts of the, world.
The food administration goes. on the
assumption that before il can solve
the food problem, Ii must know ex-
actly, and in the minutest detail what
that problem is. and from an elabor-
ate array OF facts and figures It has
proved that the French, the English
and the Italians must have a very
large proportion Of the supply Of food
that has been raised in America, il
they are to put forth their full ener-
giles on the various fighting fronts.
That is why Americans are asked
to change their food habits. The
cold, hard fact is that the people Of
the United States must give up part
OF the meat part of the wheat. part
Of the fats, part Of the sugar and
part OF the dairy products that they
would normally use between now and
the next harvest IL the people of
England, France and Italy are to
have enough to keep them alive and
In normal health. The figures, gath
cred by the United States prove il
and figures don't lie.
Food of Right Kind.
It Is not alone a problem OF get
ting food to Europe 1t is a problem
Of getting certain kinds OF food. the
kinds that can be packed into the
smallest amount of space on board d
ship and vet give the. maximum
amount of heat and energy as food.
On top OF the food shortage Is the
shipping problem. The allies have
none too many ships to carry on their
war business and transport their
food. and they must make the best
use of every inch of space.
In q statement recently made Mr..
Hoover said that the allies will re-
Quire 132,000,O00 bushels OF wheat
out of the 1917 crop raised in the
United States. But our entire ex-
portable surplus is gonel we have
already shipped every bushel that we
can spare from tho 1917 crop IL the
American people use what they
would normally use before the 1918
harvest. Every bushel OF that 1872
100000 must be what the American
people save by using cornmeal, rye,
barley, rice and other cereal sub
stitutes for wheat.
Need For WheatIess DAYS.
THAT is why there Is need for
wheatless days. The same things Is
true Of meats, OF fats and Of sugar.
There is more than enough to supply
the people OF the United States, but
there is not enough TO supply the
allies unless American people will
save part of the amount they would
~
substituting other foods.
The food administration "a work
ing along two distinct lines. It Is
asking the people to cooperate in q
voluntary Conservation program. It
has also adopted strict regulatory
measures.
Under the voluntary plan a great
army OF food conservers has been
enrolled. AS q result OF the food
pledge campaigns which have been
put on during the summer and fall.
about half the families OF the c0un-
try have been pledged to save and
substitute. Following are the latest
figures as tabulated by the food adj
mlnistration at washington on the
food pledge campaign.
United States. number Of families.
13452,7z1; number Of cards signed.
i9lz2.6SSi percentage Of families, AZ.
North DakOta--Number of famil-
fen, l3s. 464s number OF cards signed,
#8i94Is perceutage Of families. 32
Only Third Have Signed
10 WtA be seen Hat fn North IJae
kCta mHanf nna~fhirH nf fhn number