Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-05-03
EAT LESS, GROW MORE
Or Lose the War, Says World s
Greatest Food Expert.

American success as chairman of
the American Commission for Re
lief in Belgium, did his work so
well that the people say he is more
efficient than the Germans them
selves. President Wilson has
called him home to be head of the
American Food Board. He is still
in London, but sends a call from
there to the American people to
get ready for starvation.
London, April 21.-The first
and most important duty of the
American people to their allies is
to economic on foodstuffs. This
is the appeal of Herbert c.
Hoover. eff we do not do it, he
declared today to the Associated
Press, eve stand grave chance
of losing the war, because our
allies cannot fight without food.
Our enemies are calculating that
America will fail in this and our
allies will need to give in. Amer
lea can upset these calculations.
Mr.. Hoover observations were
made after three weeks consulta-
ton with members of the British,
French and Italian cabinets. He
also investigated the food and
shipping situation and plans for
American cooperation. The net
result he arrived at was that be-
tween now and the next harvest it
would require a supreme effort by
the American people.
81 feel it my duty to emphasize" !"
Mr.. Hoover continued, that the food
situation is one Of the utmost gravity,
which, unless it is solved, may posi-
bly, result in the collapse of everything
we hold dear in civilization.
"The total stock Of food today avail
able in the allied world is simply not
sufficient to last till September if
America continues its present rate OF
consumption. We are now face to face
with the result of last years poor har-
vest, the diversion of man-power from
agriculture all over the world, the un-
availing efforts of, the European
women to plant available fields fully,
the isolation of Russia, the sinking of
food ships and many other causes.
England France and Italy are re-
ducing consumption by drastic steps,
but even with all this reduction they
must have from US during the next
three months more than twice as much
food as we should have exported nor
mally or than we can send if we con-
sumo as usual.
"The only hope of providing the de-
ficiency is by the elimination of waste
and actual rigorous self-sacrifice on
the part of the American people.
"To carry the Allies over until the
next harvest we must reduce our
wheat consumption 80 per cent. This
means that every man, woman and
child must forego at least one loaf of
wheat bread per week and eat some
thing else or less generously.
"More than 70 per cent of American
homes already are places of thrift,
economy and clean plate. In the re-
naming 80 per cent no one can deny
that there is profligate extravaganza
and waste. Temperance in entertain
ment, food and drink is likely to be-
come no longer an ethical question
among this class, but grim imposi-
tion of war.
"We must also plant everything and
everywhere it will grow, or next year
this time the food problem will be alb
solutely unsolvable and the world will
face absolute starvation.
81 do not believe there will be any
necessity to rigidly ration the Ameri-
can people, for if democracy is of any
value as spiritual and political faith
the personal initiative and willingness
to volunteer self-sacrifce of every
member of the greatest democracy in
the world will be ample to solve the
problem"