The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-08-23

today, Just what is the food situation
Of the world, what are to be the needs
Of the nations allied against the CEN
tral powers, and what must be done
to supply those needs and to feed the
population OF our own land.
The normal imports Of wheat and
other cereals by France, Italy, the
United Kingdom and Belgium. and the
estimates of the 1917 crop in those
countries compared to the normal pro-
Guction are given by Mr.. Hoover In
tabulated form, and the conclusion IL
drawn that In order to provide normal
consumption it will be necessary
for them to import In the next Il
months 577.OOO,OOO bushels of wheat
and 74,OOO,O 600 bushels of other cere-
ais. II the crops of the United States
and Canada all mature safely, North
America will have an apparent sur
plus Of 2OS,OOO,OOO bushels of wheat
and $4,000, 600 bushels Of other cere-
ais. The allies, therefore, must use
other cereals than wheat for mixing
In their war bread, and the people OF
America must reduce their consump-
ton of wheat flour from five to four
pounds per week per person.
Decrease In Food Animals.
A careful estimate of the worlds
food animal position shows total net
decrease OF 11b,0O5,OOO, and this Will
be greater as the war goes on. AS
the increase of herds and flocks takes
years, we must reduce the consump-
ton, eliminate waste and carefully con-
troll meat EXPORTS
Our home dairy products supplies
nre decreasing, while our population Is
Increasing, and we must ship In
creasing amounts of such products to
our allies. Consequently this indus
try must be stimulated, and home
users must save the wastes in milk and
butter. Much the same may be said In
the case Of sugar.
Mr.. Hoover urges greater con-
sumption of fish and sea foods, IN
which our coasts and lakes are enor-
mously rich. The products Of the land,
he reminds US, are conserved by the
eating Of those Of the sea.
Our Duty.
In conclusion the food administrator
says:
I have endeavored to show in previ-
GUS articles that the world is short OF
food that Europe Is confronted with
the grim specter Of starvation unless
from our abundance and our waste we
keep the wolf from the door. Not only
must we have proper use Of our food
supply in order that we may furnish
our allies with the sinews with which
they may fight our battles, but 1t is
an act of humanity towards fellow
men. women and children.
By the diversion Of millions Of men
from production to war, by the occu-
patton Of land by armies, by the iso-
lation of markets, by belligerent lines,
and by the destruction Of shipping by
submarines, not only has the home pro-
duction Of our allies fallen by over
500, 600, 900 bushels Of grain, but they
are thrown upon US for much larger
proportion of their normal imports for
merly obtained from other markets.
They have reduced consumption at
every point, but men in the trenches,
men in the shops, and the millions Of
women placed at physical labor re-
Quire more food than during peace
times, and the incidence Of their saving
and any shortage which they may suf-
fer, falls first upon women and chill
dren. II this privation becomes too
great, their peoples cannot be main
tanned constant in the war. and we will
be left alone to fight the battle Of
democracy with Germany.
The problem of food conservation is
one of many compilations. We cannot,
and we do not wish. with our free in
stitutions and our large resources of
food, to initiate Europe in its policed
rationing, but we must voluntarily and
intelligently assume the responsibility
before us as one in which everyone
has a direct and inescapable interest.
We must increase our export of foods
to the allies. and in the circumstances
Of our shipping situation, these exports
must be Of the most concentrated
foods. These are wheat, flour, beef.
pork and dairy products. We have 9TH
er foods in great abundance which we
can use instead of these commodities,
and we can prevent wastes In a thou
sand directions. We must guard the
drainage of exports from the United
States, that we retain a proper supply
for our own country, and we must
adopt such measures as will amelio-
rate, 80 far as may be, the price condi-
tions of our less fortunate. We might
so drain the supplies from the country
to Europe as by the high prices that
would follow to force our people to