The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-22
lII 10 X!E IIE VLR.
vICTlRY MEANS ORGANIZING
FOR FOOD PRODUCTION.
Allies WIN Not Send Neutrals Food
TN They Furnish Equal Service
Against Common Enemy.

Atlantic City. N. j., Sept. 1s.-Her.
bert g. Hoover. the food administra.
tor. sreaking on the world food situa.
tion tonisht declared that starvation
would win the war and the side bes,
sble to organise It's resources for food
produition and conservation would
Como out victor. =
sine food situation of America and
the allies 80 shch." said Mr.. Hoover
that the neutral countries of north.
ern E'rope can not hope to get food
from the United states unless they
expect e furnish equivalent service
tn other directions to the common
cause against. Germany. e.
Lord Northchffe, head of the Brit.
ish ccnmlssion In this country, told
OF bis work a. purchasing agent for
Great Britain and how he is spending
between S5o.ooo.oO and $50. 900, 900 a
week. He also described some funda-
mental changes In industry that the
war has caused In Great Britain and
prsdictsd that some Of these changes
would take place also In the United
states. ft2lttt
Food has since tho war began gen.
srally ASSUMED q larger place In the
'sconomics. ths statesmanship and the
etratsU Of warfare" Mr.. Hoover told
the delegates to the war convention Of
The United States Chamber of Com
msrcs.
N"rhe allies" ne added. "are block
aiding the food from Germany and the
sursounding neutrals are under great
pressure to export their supplies both
way& The Germans are trying to
starvs the allies by sinking the food
ships and all governments are faced
with reduction Of consumption, stim-
ulation OF production. control of
prices and readjustment Of wages. The
winning Of the war IL largely a prob
lam Of who can organize this weap-
There has come about not only a
limitation of supplies by an accumu-
lation In accessible markets. The re-
sults Of these cumulative forces is
that Nurth America ia called up by
both allies and neutials for supplies
Of food far beyond Its normal export
ability.
If the extremely high prices
laundering at every door were not o
suficisrst demonstration. II is possible.
by actual figures. to prove that we
have been exporting In many COM
moditiss actually beyond our capacity
to produce. During the last year we
have exported every last ounce of
wheat the country during this period
was CAPABLE Of producing and our nat
tional stock Of cereals and animal pro-
ducts. proportionats to our population
WAS. at tho beginning Of this harvest.
the lowest In our history. and many
Of IN have been under the keenest
anxiety lest we would face absolute
ahortass. This anxious period is now
happily passed.
The demand In many commodi-
tiss during the coming year is beyond
our CAPACITY to furnish IL we consume
our normal amounts. The necessity
Of maintenance of the allies Is our
nrst lh'e Of defense and our duty to
humanity In feeding the neutrals de-
mands Of us that we reduce our ev-
cry unnecessary consumption and ev-
cry waite to the last degree and even
the world dependent on US must face
privation. Owing to the limitation OF
shippinx we must connne our exports
to the most concentrated foodstuffs."
of high food prices and the need
for price control, Mr.. Hoover said:
We have all listened to the spe-
cious arguments Of the high prices
neroioeo rs the mark or prosperity
and to possess economic advantages
IL h advocated as conservation
measure. II Is true high prices re.
dvce consumption but they reduce 1t
through the methods OF famine, for
the burden Is thrown on to that class
OF the most limited means and thus
the class least able to bear 1t. There
10 no national conservation in rob-
bins our working classes of the abil-
ity to buy food. Real conservation
lies In the equitable distribution of
the least necessary amount and In
this country We can only hope to OBJ
tain that by voluntary self denial and
voluntary reduction OF waste.