Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-10-06
THE SOLDIER WOMAN
Letters From Washington Woman To
Her Sister In Michigan-Co-
Operating With Food
Administration.
Washington, d. C.

"A uelSnDOr OF mine lOl0 HE TINS
morning that she didn't see any use
signing the food pledge now because
she didn't do it when the Food Ad-
ministration first published the card
in the newspapers month or so ago
Did you ever hear of such an absurd
excuse?
Suppose some soldier should de-
cline to fight because he wasn't in the
first draft There would be just
about as much sense in il!
OF course the right time for every
woman to have signed the food pledge
was when the Food Administration
first asked it. for the request was not
made until the need was vital But
that does not affect the fact that the
need grows every day II will never
be too late TO cooperate with the
Food Administration as long as the
burden of feeding the world rests
upon America. That's going to be
not only the length OF this war but
through the years of reconstruction
after the war. Unless every house
keeper does her part, the world is go
ing to actually suffer for food 1t
seems to me there is quite enough
suffering now without adding the
horrors of starvation. To prevent
such thing we have got to study the
Home Card" suggestions and follow
them as closely as possible. Every
body ought to know that they were
not made lightly. They are all bas-
ed on the accurate calculations made
by food experts of the worlds food
needs.
Out of the long list of food prod
ucts we use daily it does not seem
much of hardship to economic in
FIVE Do you think so. Edy dear?
Specially since we must have these
five things to feed our soldier in
France; to feed the soldiers of our
Allies; to insure the liberty of the
world.
The new Home Card" tells the
whole. story in it's first paragraph,
which says:
Our problem is to feed our Allies
this winter by sending them as much
food as we can of the most concen-
trated nutritive value in the least
shipping space. These foods are
wheat, beef, pork, dairy products, and
sugar" The Food Administration
makes it clear at once that this is
to be accomplished not by boarding
or by skimping, but by substituting
food products that cannot be sent to
the soldiers in the trenches for those
that can be sent We are not asked
to limit ourselves in any way that
viii affect health. Neither are we
asked to greatly change our food
habits.
Referring to our problem of feeding
our own soldiers and our allies this
winter, the new Home Card" says.
"Our solution is to eat less of these
wheat, beef, pork, dairy products,
and sugar. and more of other foods
of which we have an abundance, and
to waste less of all foods"
The schedule for doing this brings
no hardship to any one. To begin
with the wheat. We must send more
wheat to our allies because Eng
land. France, Italy and Belgium taken
together import, in peace time, forty
per cent of their breadstuffs. But
now with their reduction in harvest
they must import sixty per cent. We
must increase our normal export sur
plus of SS,000.000 bushels to 100000
900 bushels" The Food Administra-
ton goes on to remind US that it can
be done in but one way--by econo-
MIXING and substituting.
The plan for this ii have one wheat
less meal day; to use corn, oats,
rye, barley, or mixed cereal rolls,
mullins, and bread in place of white
bread, certainly for one meal and, If
possible, for two. we are asked TO
eat less pastry In the case of or
dering white bread from the baker it
is urged that we do so a day in adj
vance that he may not bake beyond
his needs. We are told to cut the loaf
on the table and only as required, and
to use all stale bread for toast and
cooking.
If everybody in the United States
uses just one pound less of wheat
-four per week the Food Administra-
tion assures us that there will be no
difficulty in meeting the wheat need
of our allies.
Well, dear girl, | can do my bit"
in the wheat conservation plan with
out much trouble to myself, and with
certainly no inconvenience to my
family
Tomorrow I'll write you more of
the new Home Card" In case you
do not understand my use of the word
new" let me tell you that the new
card differs in no essential from the
original card which was distributed
by the Food Administration in the
early summer. The need was at that
time presented in six saves" Some
women construed save" to mean
boarding which was not, and is not,
the idea at all The new Home
Card thells just what the American
woman is asked to do to help win this
war. and tells it so clearly and help
fully that no one can fail to see that
the whole program is merely one Of
substitution, without any necessity to
skimp or to hoard.
In every instance the substitution
asked is simple. and makes no hard
ship-a mighty good thing for every
women to know, war or no war;
Love TO Will and the babies, from
Your devoted sister
lCiCnodA EvpANCEC