Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-06-27
AMERICA must FEED u IISFOOD
PRODUCTION lift IS TOBE EQUAL
TODEMAND OMIT TOFEED THE WORLD
Hoover Warns Nation II Must Be Content With Third
Less Than Normal Amount of Wheat Consumption


ism 0y eating one loaf less OF WheaI
bread each week?
Why is such self-denial asked, In
the name Of all that IL patriotic?
This man Hoover" as he Is COM
ing to be known by everyone in the
United States, now food controller for
the nation, says America must con-
sumo at least one-third less wheat
than our normal amount. Unless this
is done, In addition to all the siren
uous growing of crops now under way.
"the worlds food problem will be alb
solutely unsolvable, and we Will be
facing absolute starvation.
The warning is to be taken literal
ly; 1t applies to every individual In
this country, and to people in Hawan
as we'll as to those Of the states.
The why and wherefore Of this sit
uation and Hoovers startling demand
upon US Is explained with unusual
clarity and forcefulness in an article
by ]. Russell Smith, in the Country
Gentleman magazine of June y, Just
received in Honolulu. 1t perhaps Is
the best exposition Of the problem
that has come here and is worth read
trg by every citizen who seeks clear
understanding of the great world
crisis.
Can we believe this?" the writer
of the article asks. THE answer is:
Yes, it is true, and l only hope that
we can believe it before 1t is too
late to do something. We do not have
to depend alone upon Mr.. Hoover's
statement to know that he has told
the truth. 1t can be proved by cir
cumstantial evidence. An examination
of the worlds food situation makes 1t
clear"
The author explains that Canada
and the United States must feed, not
merely our own army, but supply al
most the entire bulk Of the food for
the civilian populations and armies OF
Great Britain, France, Belgium, Italy
and Portugal, all the western allies.
In the first two years of the war
Americas wheat crop was far above
normal, due chiefly to fortunate
weather. But this year the crop is
considerably less than normal, and al
ready the allies have contracted for
virtually half Of (which America
must, supply.
A big factor is the German sub
marine campaign and the toll it has
taken and continues to take Of the
worlds shipping. In the other years
part of the allies food came from
East India, Argentine and Australia.
Now the shipping is not available to
make the long trips to those lands
for grain. $500.
Why America Must Feed All
Australia is 10000 miles from Eu-
rope, and the Argentine is 5000 miles
distant. America Is only 5000 miles
away consequently, with the terrible
shortage in boats, the. allies must
seek their supplies at the nearest pos
sible source, America. 1t Is not a
question Of merely getting supplies
through the submarine blockade. - II
is not feasible to transport Australia's
and Argentine's and midas supplies
to the United States and thence across
the Atlantic. The ship shortage is not
only in the Atlantic but in every one
OF the seven seas, and the dearth is
Just as serious on the Pacific as in
the East. - ! -.
The result is that Argentina's and
Australfass gTanarleS may De iliieo 10
bursting with wheat. yet America
must stint herself and even endure
hardship IL necessary, to meet the al
lies great need from her own short
supply. - ...
Normal Wheat Crop Less .t=-.
The normal wheat crop of the
United States is 704 ,00o, 900 bushels.
IT It's expected to be much less than
this amount in 1917, yet the allies
have contracted for 100000, 900 mill
lion bushels Of this crop. The 1916
crop also was less than normal, 640,-
10000 bushels to be exact. so that now
the surplus of the two earlier crops
has disappeared. The western allies
have been cut of from the Russian
wheat supply Of about 200 million
bushels, and the demands Of war leave
them little opportunity to grow the
crops they themselves produced in
ante-bellum days. E.....~~azs. . -
Just what England, France and Italy
are up against, the writer shows by
applying the situation to an American
township: -. =.