Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-20
PEOPLE IN DIRE NEED OF FOOD
AND FUEL AND MUST
HAVE AID.
LAKE BOATS TO BE
SENT ACROSS SEAS
Steel Freiehters Communicated by
Government and Will Be Used to
Rush Eeiief-Twonty Vessels Avail
able For Service-People subsistine
Chiefly on Vegetables.

Washington. Oct. 20.-F'rance now is
declared to be in dire need of food. Sc
much so that. high government official
have fo> some time been giving mos
earnest consideration to ways and
means for furnishing additional ton
mage to transport supplies from Ameri-
ca to French ports.
The United States government, thru
the federal shipping board. has agreed
to turn over to France twenty ships of
so, 900 tons for transportation Of NUM-
tons and food supplies needed by the
French government.
The tonnage to be transferred is COM
ing from the great lakes, according to
an announcement made last night by
Edward n. Hurley, following a confer
ence between officials of the shipping
board and the war department.
Urge Economy in U. S.
The government is in possession of
information received directly from the
French government outlining the food
situation. Besides the remedy of in
creased tonnage for shipments of food
stuffs, volunteer economy on the part
OF Americans in the consumption of
food is being urged.
The French have said little for out
side consumption about food conditions
in France, but now the situation is de-
clared to be such as to warrant no
further delay in acquainting the Amer
lean people with actual conditions.
British Cut Of Meat Supply.
Recently Herbert Hoover announced
that America had come to the relief of
France in a substantial manner by sup
plying a large quantity of sugar for
French consumption. But France is de-
clared to be badly in need of wheat and
meat. The French have been subsisting
largely on vegetables, but the supply of
these is said to have been lessened by
labor shortage.
Cattle feed is as scarce as human
food in France. Early this year Great
Britain was compelled to cut off her
supply Of meat to France because Of
a pressing shortage in England.
Conditions in Italy are declared to be
even worse in some quarters than those
in France. Italy's greatest need is coal,
and next to this wheat. A high au-
thority declared last night that it can
not be too emphaticaily stated that the
situation in Italy is very serious.
The vessels to be surrendered to the
French, including some Of British and
French ownership recently comman-
deered and requisitioned by the United
States, average between $500 and $500
dead weight tons, and their movement
from the lakes to the Atlantic has been
under way for several days.
One 5000 ton ship arrived at Mon
treal today and is" being rapidly over
hauled for Immediate release to the
French authorities. 1t is expected that
all the boats will be on the coast within
ten days.
Sailing Ships in Return.
In return for this tonnage the French
government has agreed to surrender to
the United States nearly 100000 tons
of sailing vessels now operating in the
South American and Guatemalan trade.
This tonnage will be diverted into
American coaStwise trade.
The sailing vessels will be used pri-
mariIy to bring permanSanese from
Brazil, nitrate from Chile, and chrome
ore from New Caledonia, chrome ore
being essential in the manufacture Of
steel.