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

this demand will interfere with the
American supply of 4.OOO.OOO tons is
difficult TO forecast, first. because some
increased supplies may he obtained by
the allies from the East Indies. and,
second. because the allies have re-
duced their consumption TO SCme ex-
tent.
In any event. II all the enemies of
Germany are to be supplied. there
must be economy in consumption
everywhere. The normal American
consumption is about 80 pounus per
person per annum and is jSst double
the French consumption.
Vegetables.
We have this year a most abundant
crop of vegetables for our use as re-
suit of patriotic endeavor almost
universal throughout the country. Our
potato harvest alone promises an In
crease from 2S5OOO,OOO bushels last
year to over 4OO,OOO,OOO bushels this
year. The other vegetables are like
wise enormously increased through
the planting and extension of millions
of gardens. The sweet potato crop
promises to be from 10 to 20 per cent
above what it was last year, and the
commercial crop of sweet corn for
canning purposes Is estimated to be
from 90 to 80 per cent above that of
last year. The commercial crop of
tomatoes for canning purposes will
probably be somewhere between 10
and 20 per cent above what 1t was last
year. There Is an increase in the acre
ase ef late onions of about "a per cent
cver siya E"ea harvested In 1916.
Fish and Sea Foods.
The waters of our coasts and lakes
are enormously rich in food fish and
shell fish. Our streams, too, contribute
a great quantity of fish. Many varie-
ties are now not used for human food,
but are thrown away or used for ferti-
lizer. Habit has confined our use of
fish to few varieties, and inadequate
methods of commercial handling have
llIillleu our USE VI lilcSe Idl S'lJ w C''i1
certain days in the week. With better
marketing facilities, with better under
standing of how to use the most varie-
ties, with proper preservation by
smoking and sailing and by establish
ing plants for frozen fish, we can liz
crease greatly our supply and thus re-
lieve largely the pressure due to the
inadequate supply of meat. We only
have to harvest our own fish supply.
1t feeds itself. Every fish eaten is
that much gained in solving the pres
ent problem of living. The products
of the land are conserved by eating
those of the sea.
Our Duty.
| have endeavored to show in previ'
GUS articles that the world is short OF
food; that Europe is confronted with
the grim specter Of starvation unless
from our abundance and our waste we
keen the wolf from the door. Not only
must we have a proper use of our food
supply in order that we may furnish
our allies with the sinews with which
they may fight our, battles, but it is
an act of humanity towards fellow
men, women and children.
By the diversion of millions OF mer
from production to war, by the occu
patton of land by armies, by the iso
lation of markets, by belligerent lines
and by the destruction of shipping by
submarines, not only has the home pro
duction of our allies fallen by oyel
5O0,00O,OOO bushels Of grain, but they
are thrown upon us for much larger
proportion of their normal imports for
merly obtained from other markets.
They have reduced consumption n
every point, but men in the trenches
men in the shops, and the millions OF
women placed at physical labor re
quire more food than during peace
times, and the incidence of their saving
and any shortage which they may suf
fer, falls first upon women ard chill
dren. If this privation becomes too
great, their peoples cannot be main
tained constant in the war, and we vii
be left alone to fight the battle o,
democracy with Germany.
The problem of food conservation l!
one Of many compilations. We cannot
and we do not wish, with our free in
stitutions and our large resources o
food, to initiate Europe in its pOlicet
ratiOning, but we must voluntarily ant
intelligently assume the reSpOnsibilit!
before us as one in which everyone
has a direct and inescapable interest
We must increase our export of food
| to the allies. and in the circumstance
Of our shipping situation, these expOrt
must be OF the most concentrated
foods. These are wheat, flour, beet
pork and dairy products. We have 9th
er foods in great abundance which w
can use instead of these commodities
and we can prevent wastes in a thou
sand directions. We must guard tn
drainage of exports from the Unite,
States, that we retain O proper suppl
for our own country, and we mus
adopt such measures as will ameliOI
ate, so far as may be, the price cOndi
tions of our less fortunate. We Nigh
so drain the supplies from the countr
to Europe as by the high prices tina
would follow to force our people t
shorten their consumption. This opel
| alton of normal economic forces
would starve that element Of the con
munity to whom we owe the most pre-
lection. We must try to impose tn
burden equally upon all.
Action Must Be Voluntary.
There is no royal road tC food cor
servation. We can only accOmplis
this by the voluntary action of ou
whole people, each element in propol
ton to its means. 1t is a matter Q
equality of burden; matter of mir