The sun., 1917-08-11
HOOVER NAMED
FOOD DICTATOR
OUTLINES AIMS
To Crush Speculation; Care
for Home Wants and
Feed Allies.
FORCE READY IF NEEDED
Plea Made to Business Men
and Housewives-Strict
Conservation Urged.
FORCE READY IF NEEDED


wAsHNGroN, Aug 1o.-This. Herbert
c Hoover's forty-thlrd birthday. was
celebrated to-day by his appointment by
executive order Of the President as head
Of the food administration. The pen
with which the President signed the food
control bill and the executive order was
presented to Mr.. Hoover as a birthday
present With the appointment of Mr..
Hoover the Government assumed control
Of the nations food supply.
Immediately after his appointment Mr.
Hoover issued a statement outlining in
. general way the purposes of the food
administration. Its aims, he said. are
threefold--the elimination of vicious
SPECULATION. the retention of sufficient
supplies at home TO guard against short
age and the stimulation of the produc-
tion and conservation Of food by every
possible means.
He advocated the use in this country.
~ far as possible, Of the less concentrated
and more perishable foods such as hsh,
corn and other cereals. with wheat. grain.
beef and dairy products foE overseas
Shipment He expressed the utmost con-
hdence In the patriotism and common
sense OF American business men and
housewives. 1t will not be the policy
o: the food board, he said, TO pro-
ceed with a host of punitive measures,
but by coordination with the various
trades to effect such constructive regu-
htions as will render gambling and ex-
turtion impossible and will tend to sta
bilize prices.
All May Give Aid.
The service Of conservation. he said.
is a service in which every man, woman
and child ", ha ITnffad on
ter, and the food administration will ask
all classes and all trades to cooperate in
the undertaking and become themselves
members Of the food administration. A
reduction in the weekly consumption a
person Of one pound Of wheat flour.
seven ounces OF meat, seven ounces Of
fat and seven ounces OF sugar will, Mr..
Hoover asserted. be OF immeasurable aid
and encouragement 10 our allies. help
our own growing army and effectively
serve the great and noble cause Of hu-
manlty in which the nation has EN-
barked. In part, Mr.. Hoover said: y
The food administration is called
into being to stabilize and not to dis
turb conditions, and to defend honest
enterprise against illegitimate compe-
tition. II has been devised to correct
the abnormalities and abuses that have
erept into trade by reason OF the world
ClkIuTDAnCe ana 10 TcSIOTt buHlTeSS as
far as may be TO n reasonable basis.
THE business men OF the country, |
am convinced. as a result Of many hum
dreds OF conferences with representa-
tives OF the great forces Of food sup
ply. realize their own patriotic obliga-
ton and the solemnity OF the situation
and will fairly and generously cooperate
IN meeting the national oblig ation. l do
not believe that drastic force need be
tion and sane use OF supplies by the
great majority of the American people.
Depends ON Business Men.
Il have learned a deep and abiding
faith In the intelligence Of the average
American business man, whose aid we
anticipate and depend on TO remedy the
evils developed by the war. which he
admits and deplores as deeply as our
selves.
But II there be those who expect
10 exploit this hour of sacrifice, IL there
are men or organizations scheming TO
increase the trials OF this country we
shall not hesitate to apply TO the full
the drastic coercive powers that Con-
Eress has conferred upon us in this in
strument
The deep obligation is upon US to
feed the armies and the peoples asso-
ciated with us in this struggle. The
diversion of 100000 of their men to
war or war work. the additional millions
OF women drafted to the places of their
husbands and brothers. the toll Of the
submarine, have all conspired to so re-
ouce production that their harvests this
autumn will fail 500, 900, 900 bushels of
grain below their normal production.
Always dependent upon imports from
other countries for a substantial part
OF their food needs. our western Euro
pean allies because of the destruction of
shipping by submarine and the Isolation
from the normal markets by belllgerent
lines are forced to a large degree upon
our markets not only as the nearest
put as the only market capa BILE OF re-
neVing their bitter necessities.
Therefore. whereas. we exported be-
Tore the war but $4,000, 900 bushels Of
wheat per annum, this year, by one
means or another, we must find for
mem 225,Oo0,0O0 bushels, and this IN
the face OF a short crop. Our best will
out partly meet their needs, for even
men they must reduce their bread con-
sumption 20 per cent, and IL will be
war bread they must eat-war bread, of
which large portion consists OF other
cereals"