Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-13
An Should OBJ
serve Same Days
of Conservation

The importance Of all persons OBJ
serving the same meatless and wheat
less days-Tuesday and Wednesday of
each week-is brought out forcibly by
John Melhop, Jr, of Council Bluffs,
secretary Of the Iowa. Nebraska Whole
sale Grocers Association.
Mr.. Melhop's letter has been sent
out to the statesmen of the Let's
Fletcher Company Of this city by Man.
ager w. L. Smith. with the request tina,
the statesmen carry the message to
their customers and others with whom
they may come in touch. Mr.. Melhops
letter follows:
MIR, Hoover, the head Of the federal
food administration, has repeatedly
made the statement that the present
terrible war must be won by foods;
that 1t Is incumbent upon this coun-
try to furnish the food, and that In or
der to supply our allies with what they
Will require, it will be necessary to cut
down the consumption In this country,
particularly of meat and wheat foods.
To that end the food administration
has established meatless and wheatless
days, Tuesday and Wednesday, re-
spectively. of each week.
The object OF establishing certain
days. Is Of course, to insure the uni
versal observance Of them, for without
universal observation little can be ac-
compllshed and we will fail In our mis-
sion. l have encountered a number of
people who seem to feel that it doesn't
matter what Gays they observe so long
as they observe one day each week.
Now that Is entirely wrong, and they
TAI! to grasp the idea, for unless
definite days each week are named and
observed, observance will not become,
in any sense, general
Thanksgiving day is a day set aside
for certain purpose. by a proclama-
ton Of the president Of the United
States. and the observance Of 1t is ma
ton wide. What, sort Of a Thanks
giving day would we have IL each one
selected his own particular day? By
naming definite days the observance of
these days will soon become a habit
and every one will be observing them,
because 1t is customary. We have all
got to<help In this war. We can not
all go to the front. but we can all be
soldiers and the first duty Of a good
soldier Is to learn obedience to the
command Of his superior officer
Recently, in conversation with sew
eral women, regarding the observance
of these days. one Of them said: Tues
day Is not convenient day for me- so
think will observe Thursday An
other one said: 7 am already observing
one meatless day, so I am doing my
part To the latter, I replied: You
are observing that day because Of your
religion and that Is right, but you are
not conserving as against ordinary con-
sumption. Can't you add one day each
week for your country She said she
thought she could. To the other one
replied: Suppose the armies at the
front should respond to the command
OF their generals in the way you pro-
pose In the observance OF a meatless
day, what would be the result? Sup
pose the general in command should
order a charge on Monday morning and
the general Of one division should say
Monday is not convenient dav for
me to charge. will wait until Tues
day" Another should find Wednesday
more convenient and still another
Thursday. Would 1t not be fine
battle? Yes, for the other side. and Of
course mean complete defeat for us
and that is what It will mean for the
meatless and wheatlees days If we do
not all center on the DAYS named by
the food administration.