Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-14
Told of Card Campaign.

Mr.. Wilson presided. and before intro
ducing the speakers told of the pledge
card campaign to be started in Washing
ton next Tuesday, and asked that vol
unteers for the work report to him.
For many years we people of Eng
land more and more built ourselves up
as a great industrial state" said Lord
Eustance Percy, "and while purchasing
in all the markets of the world allowed
our agriculture to go from bad to
worse. SO that in time We became some
thing like an overgrown industrial
state. Now we are remedying that by
stimulating agriculture and reducing
consumption to the minimum amount
necessary to maintain health and vigor.
I'VE have reduced our normal i'm
ports Sc per cent. Because of the need
for ships we cannot send our ships on
the long trip to Australia. but must
depend on the United States and Can
ada. II we are forced to send our ships
to Australia 1t means a reduction in
whole question of victory or defeat.
and the answer lies in the homes OF
the. United States and Canada"
In Hands of Germans.
In telling of food conditions in
France NJ. de Billy called attention to
the fact that some of that country's
hands of the Germans and that culti-
walton for three years had been left
largely to women and children and old
men.
IT will not say anything that might
be construed as a. plea for my coun-
try" he said in conclusion. but 1 will
only speak of the general duty this war
imposes on those who can spare to do
whatever they can for those who are
in need"
THE d,,fy of a1{no coid S;opor 0,,,f
trone, ought to be the most inflexible
duty of war. In Italy, he said. con-
servation had been carried to the last
extreme, and any further cutting down
of consumption was impossible. Most
breakfast tables, he said, never see any
sugar. very little coffee and no mar
malade. butter or eggs.
In his speech last night Mr.. Hoover
hind the rest of the country in the
matter of food conservation. largely
because of the delay in appointing a
local food administrator. Visitors to
his Office from other cities. he added.
frequently commented on the fact that
the National Capital was not doing as
much as has been done in other coun-
tries To remedy this he appealed to
every woman who could do SO to give
part of her time next week to help
Mr.. Wilson enroll the housewives Of
Washington as his aids. This will give
the administration an army of work
ers that can be reached quickly and
effectively when any change in the
Surprise to Workers.
The appearance of Mr.. Hoover at the
meeting at Central High School last even
ing was welcome surprise to the volun-
teer workers who had gathered there to
arrange for the opening OF the pledge
would be present had been given. and,
though he appeared tired and spoke in a
conversational tone. his discussion of the
tries was listened to most eagerly.
..The problem which faces this country
and it's allies" said the United States food
administrator. 'is that Of feeding 0000.-
900 people with supplies that normally
were distributed among 100,000.000. The
normal grain imports of our three prin-
cipal allies and Belgium were 100000. 900
bushels per annum This came from many
but about 120.000.0o0 bushels. The war
has now diminished the production in
these European countries at least one
third. so their need for imports has in
creased.
| Another complication is that the
problem of imports is a problem of
ships. With diminishing ships 1t is i'm
possible to reach the more remote mar
kets. so the load falls largely on the
United States.
/ Have Done Their Utmost.
Our allies have done their utmost
to meet this situation. They have de-
creased their bread consumption 80 per
cent. their inea. consumption 40 per
cent and have cut down their rations
to the bare minimum necessary to
maintain life and strength. If we are
: to carry the entire load of supplying
their needs it means that we must ex-
pand our exports six or seven to one,
compared with pre-war figures, and
! obviously this Is impossible.
! But we should realize that every
i ship taken off the route between this
country and Europe and put on a
longer run to South America, or Aus
traiia, or India, means one less avail
able for transport service to serve our
troops at the front.
/ 1T we can reduce our consumption
| of bread 10 per cent and our consump-
| tion of fats 20 per cent, or make a
/, reduction Of 10 per cent in the entire
/ food bill of the nation, we can supply
at least IS per cent of our allies at
once. There is no hope to stimulate
produe ton until the arrival of the
next harvest. and In the meantime we
| must divide to the last grain with our
/: allies, that they may stand strong
/ with us against Germany.
I'm every country at war the well
- = ha H.