The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1917-11-03
Worlds Shortage Demands
Conservation of Wheat.
Meat, Fat and Sugar.

Herbert Hoover, in recent address
on the wars food shortage, stated the
situation thus:
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
common stock. If we cannot maintain
our Allies in their necessities, we can
not expect them to remain constant
in war. II 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 matter of our own
5dlSLy anu Stll-lulcICSl. I. IL Is HUN
than this-it is a matter of humanity
that we give of our abundance that we
relieve suffering.
1t is not difficult to demonstrate
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
75O,OOO,0O0 bushels of grain together
with vast quantities of animal and fat
products. Bellgerent lines have cut
off their supplies from Russia, Bull
garia, and Roumania, and the de
mands of Germany on surrounding
neutrals have reduced the supplies
from those quarters. OF more impor
tance, however, is that the submarine
destruction of shipping has necessi'
tated that the farthest d.stant markets
should be wholly or partially aban
doned. The great markets Of Aus
tralia and the Indias are now only
partially accessible, and gradually the
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 failure, and
until the next harvest, even that con
trbution 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, II 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 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
525,000,000 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 months, II consumption is kept
normal. Their cattle, sheep and hogs
have diminished by over 30,000,0 900 an.
imals, and these reductions are bound
TO 60 on with increasing velocity, BE-
cause short supplies have necessitated
eating into the herd
The Spirit Of Universal Service.
There is a 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.