The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-08-25
HOW AMERICA CAN
FEED ITS ALLIES
important Message to People
From Herbert C. Hoover,
Administrator.
WORLD SUPPLIES ESTIMATED
Increased Production, Elimination Of
Waste and Careful Control of Food
Exports Form the Solution
of This War Problem.

Washington, Aug. 2O.-What the peo-
ple of the United States not only can
but must do in the matter of food pro-
duction and use in order to help win
the war is set forth in detail in a
statement issued today by Food Ad-
administrator Herbert G. Hoover. If we
fail to do our part in this respect, he
says, the people OF the allies cannot be
maintained at war, for their soldiers
cannot fight without food.
The normal imports of wheat and
iother cereals by France, Italy. the
United Kingdom and Belgium, and the
estimates of the 1917 crop in those
countries compared to the normal pro-
iduction are given by Mr.. Hoover in
itabulated form, and the conclusion is
idrawn that in order to provide normal
consumption it will be necessary
flor them to import in the next II
Imonths 577,OOO,OOO bushels of wheat
land 674, 100000 bushels of other cere-
Ials. II the crops of the United States
and Canada all mature safely. North
America will have an apparent sur
plus of 208,OOO,0OO bushels of wheat
land $50 100000 bushels of other cere-
lals. The allies, therefore, must use
iother cereals than wheat for mixing
lin their war bread, and the people of
America must reduce their consump-
ition of wheat -four from five to four
pounds per week per person.
Decrease in Food Animals.
careful estimate of the worlds
food animal position shows a total net
ldecrease of 115,O05, 600, and this will
he greater as the war goes on. AS
the increase Of herds and flocks takes
years, we must reduce the consump-
tion, eliminate waste and carefully con-
'trOl meat exports.
Our home dairy products supplies
are decreasing, while our population is
increasing, and we must ship in
creasing amounts of such products to
our allies. Consequently this indus
try must be stimulated, and home
users must save the wastes in milk and
ibutter. Much the same may be said in
the case of sugar.
Mr.. Hoover urges a greater con-
sumption of fish and sea foods, in
which our coasts and lakes are enor-
mOusly rich. The products of the land,
he reminds US, are conserved by the
eating OF those of the sea.
Our Duty.
In conclusion the food administrator
says:
1 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
keep the wolf from the door, Not only
must we have 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 1t is
an act of humanity towards fellow
men, women and children.
By the diversion of millions of men
from production to war, by the occu-
patton OF land by armies, by the iso-
1atiOn 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 over
100000 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 at
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 and chill
dren. If this privation becomes too
great, their peoples cannot be main
tanned constant IN the war, and we will
be left alone to fight the battle of
democracy with Germany.
The problem of food conservation is
one of many compledons We cannot
and we do not wish, with our free in
situations and our large resources of
food, to initiate Europe in its policed
rationing, but we must voluntarily and
1ntelligently assume the responsibility
before us as one in which everyone
has direct and inescapable interest
I'VE must increase our export of foods
to the allies, and in the circumstances
of our shipping situation, these exports
must be Of the most concentrated
foods. These are wheat, -four. beef.
pork and dairy products. We have 9th
er foods in great abundance which we
can use instead OF these commodities
and we can prevent wastes in thou-
sand directions. We must guard the
drainage Of exports from the United
States, that we retain a proper supply
for our own country, and we must
adopt such measures as will amelio-
rate, so far as may be, the price condi-
tons of our less fortunate. We might
so drain the supplies from the country
to Europe as by the high prices that
would follow to force our people to
shorten their consumption. This oper.
alton of normal economic forces,
would starve that element of the com.
munity to whom we owe the most pro-
itection. We must try to impose the
burden equally upon all.