The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1917-11-01
SAVING OF FOOD
WILL WIN The WAR
Worlds Shortage Demands
Conservation of Wheat,
Meat, Fat and Sugar.

Herbert Hoover in a recent address
on the wars food shortage, stated the
situation thus:
l have been asked to review the rea.
sons why we are pleading with the
| American people for stimulation OF
our food production, for care, thought
and economy in consumption and elm
inatiOn of waste. Further, / wish to
review the methods by which these
things may be accomplished.
Briefly the reasons are simple. Our
Allies are dependent upon US for food
and for quantities larger than we have
ever before exported. They are the
first line of our defense, and our
money, or ships, or life blood, and, not
least, our food supply, must be of a
common stock. If we cannot maintain
our Allies in their necessities, we can
not expect them to remain constant
in war. If their food fails, we shall
be left alone in the fight, and the west
ern line will move to the Atlantic sea-
board. 1t is thus a matter of our own
safety and selfinterest 1t is more
than this-it is matter of humanity
that we give of our abundance that we
relieve suffering.
1t is not difficult to demonstrate
their needs, the volume of our obliga-
ton, and the necessity of great effort
on our part. In normal pre-war times.
England, Ireland, France, Italy and
Belgium were to large degree de-
pendent upon imports for their food
supplies. They yearly imported over
750.000,0oQ bushels of grain together
with vast quantities of animal and fat
products. Belligerent lines have cut
off their supplies from Russia, Bull
garia, and Roumania, and the de-
mands of Germany on surrounding
neutra,s have reduced the supplies
from those quarters. OF more impor-
lance, however, is that the submarine
destruction of shipping has necessi.
tated that the farthest distant markets
should be wholly or partially aban-
doned. The sreat markets of Aus
tralia and the Indias are now only
more remote markets will be more
and more restricted until a year from
now when our own new ships will be
in numbers to help. The last harvest
in the Argentine was a failure, and
until the next harvest, even that con
tribution to their supplies is cut off.
Beyond this again, much food is lost
at sea-perhaps ten per cent OF the
actual shipments are sunk enroute.
Therefore, the load of even normal
imports is thrown upon North Ameri.
ca-the nearest and safest route.
OF no less concern than the dislo-
cation of markets and the losses at
sea is the decrease in production
among the Allies. If forty million
men are taken out of productive labor
and put into war and war work, there
can only be one result. and that is
diminution in production Of food.
Further contributing causes to this
diminution are the lessening in the
amount of fertilizer which is available,
through shortage of shipping and
losses at sea, and the consequent re-
duction in the productivity of the soil
itself This year the decrease in pro-
duction stands out in more vivid sill
houette than ever before.
Tale of the Inventory.
We have had a stock-taking by the
various food administrators and de-
partments of agriculture in Europe,
and they find that the production OF
cereals this year has diminished about
525 zoo, 600 bushels of grain below nor
NAL. This shortage in production,
added to normal imports, gives 1850
100000 bushels of grain that must be
imported by the Allies during the next
twelve mcnths, If consumption is kept
normal. Their cattle, sheep and hogs
have diminished by over 30.000.000 an
imals. and there reductions arc bound
% 20 on with increasing velocity, Be-
:ause short supplies have necessitated
eating into the herd.
The Spirit of Universal Service.
There is phase of this entire work
which has appealed greatly to us here,
and that is the whole question of ma
tional service Here is an opportunity
for every man, woman and child in
this country to contribute Immediately
and directly to the winning of the war.
1t should be possible to show to the
entire population that there is at least
one point in which all may serve in
rrlt
not only saving, but the sense OF serv-
ice 2 sense CT contribution to the war