The sun., 1917-05-30
FOOD LAW PLAN
Is TO BAR BEER;
NO WHISKEY BAN
Prohibition of Use of Barley
for Alcoholic Drinks Is
Favored.
NO RESTRICTION ON CORN
Hoover to Deal Only With
Economics, Not Ethics Of
Liquor Production.
NO RESTRICTION ON CORN

WASHINGTON, May 29.-Prohibition
OF the use Of barley In the manufacture
Of alcoholic beverages is one Of the first
steps In drastic food conservation that
will be taken by the new food admins
tration when It is given powers by Con-
gress according to reliable information
obtained to-day.
As barley Is one Of the principal in
gradients in the manufacture OF beer. the
prohibition OF its use rould bring the
brewing Industry. which represents
capitalization Of hundreds of millions Of
dollars. to q complete halt duripg the
period OF the war. and undoubtedly would
wreck q considerable part Of the indus
try. In the last fiscal year 52,43S.s73
bushels of barley were used in brewing
and 4,07S.262 bushels In the manufacture
of distilled spirits. a total of 56,513.236
bushels. This il a considerable portion
of the barley crop. being slightly more
than one-fourth the average for the owe
years between 1910 and 1914 inclusive.
The barley yield in 1915 was 180,s27,0oo
bushels. The Ave year average. 1910 to
1914, was 1s6. .20S, 900 bushels.
The barley will be sent almost ex-
clusively to France, II present plans are
carried out. The French nation has been
under almost intolerable privations In the
last year, and IL In the wish OF the food
administration to tighten them as much
as possible. The French have not been
able in the manufacture Of bread to mix
corn successfully with the wheat. They
have mixed barley with wheat and have
made a bread that Ia acceptable to the
tatt tAn
this reason II IL the present purpose to
divert the bulk of the barley crop to
France.
That there In no intention to place an
immediate restriction on the use Of corn
and some other grains in the manufac-
ture Of LIQUOR is due to the stand Of Her
bert c. Hoover. the prospective food con-
troller. that his functions are solely to
conserve the food supply. and that he is
not to set himself up as dictator of
morals or to concern himself with the
ethics Of liquor production In any way.
SO little corn II used in the manufac-
ture Of liquor In proportion to the total
yield that there Is no disposition at
present TO halt the industry OF manu-
featuring liquor from corn 10 save this
relatively small quantity Of corn for
human food purposes.
Although the total OF corn used for
liquor in the fiscal year ended June 80
1916, was the considerable quantity OF
45,643,063 bushels. the average annual
yield for the United States for the five
years between 1910 and 1914 inclusive
was 2,732,457, 900 bushels. The amour,
used in liquor therefore is only about
one-sixtieth of the total yield and the
quantity used ordinarily for human food
is only slightly above per cent. of the
yield. so neither item forms n very
cogent argument for the stoppage OF
the use of corn in liquor. as the situa.
ton Is viewed by the food administra.
tion.
Barley. on the other hand, Is being
used to the extent Of a 90 per cent. ad.
mixture with wheat in the making OF
bread in the allied countries. and par.
ticuiarly in France and England is re.
garded as much superior to the corr
admixture. The British. however, have
succeeded in introducing the use Of corr
as q mixture to a considerable extent
Italy probably is the greatest consumer
of corn as human food. Americas large
shipments Of corn. therefore, will 20 ts
Great Britain and Italy. and the barley
to France.
At present the food administration
according to the best information OBJ
tainable, does not feel Justified In cut
ting or the use of corn and rye on tn,
basis Of food economy and this is tn,
exclusive basis on which Mr.. Hoover
proposes to conduct his department.