The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-05-20
Declares There Is No Inten-
tiOn to Interfere With
Normal Production.
HOOVER WILL ACCEPT
ADMINISTRATORSHIP
Exercise of Authority Will
Come Only With Infrac-
tions by Minority.
BY Associated Press.

Washington, May 19 President
ing the administrations food control
policy. announced he had asked Her
bert {. Hoover, to become American
food administrator and that Mr.
Hoover would accept the place.
a statement given out by Mr.. Hoover
after the White House announcement
was made gave his plans for food ad-
mn,stration and called on the country
to render voluntary assistance in car
rying 1t out.
Explaining that II was absolutely
necessary to vest unuucstionable pow
crs in the government the president
declared he Is confident that exercise
of the authority granted will be neces-
SarN only lin the few cases where
some small and selfish minority proves
unwilling to put the nations interests
above personal advantage" He makes
it clear that the food administration is
only for an emergency situation and
that since 1t Will be composed for the
most part of volunteers there need be
no fear of the possibility of n perma-
nont bureaucracy arising out Of it,"
Suggests Four Branches.
Mr.. Hoover proposed that the food
administration be divided into four
great branches whose duties he defined
In detail Most of the work would be
carried out by men and women of the
country on a volunteer basis.
"lf this cannot be DONE" said
Mr.. Hoover's statement, ~ shall
certainly and willingly surrender
the task to some other method of
emergency. hold that democracy
can yield to discipline. and that
we can solve this food problem for
our own people and our allies in
this way and that to have done so
will have been a greater service
than our immediate objective. for
we will have demonstrated the
rightness of our faith and our
ability to defend ourselves, with
our being Prussianized."
The presidents statement In fun fol-
lows:
''It is very desirable. in order to ure-
vent Observation-Disclosures or alarms and
to assure co-operation in a vital mat
ter that the country should understand
very great powers. which have
| thought 1t necessary IN the Circum-
stances to ask the congress TO put In
| my hands with regard to our food sup
| plies. Thoa" powers are very great
| indeed but they are no greater than
| 1t has proved necessary to lodge in the
other governments which are conduct
| ing this momentous war and their OBJ
| jcct Is stimulation and conservation,
! not arbitrary restraint or injurious in
| terferencc with the normal processes
| of production. They are intended to
| becnfit and assist the farmer and all
those who play a legitimate part in tho
| preparation, distribution and market
| ing of foodstlffs.
| "It Is proposed to draw n sharp line
| of distinction between the normal ac-
tiviticS of the government represented
| in the department OF agriculture in
rcfcrcnc" TO food production. conser-
walton and marketing on the ono hand
and the emergency activities necessi-
tated by the war in reference to tho
| regulation of food distribution and
| CONSUMPTION on the other. All meas
ur"s intended directly to extend the
normal activities of the dcpa rtmcnt OF
agriculture in reference to the produc-
tion. conservation and the marketing
OF farm crops will be administered as
In normal times, through that depart
n"nt. and the powers asked for over
distribution and consumption over eX-
ports imports. prices. purchase and
| rcuuisltion of commodities. storing and
the like which may require regulation
during the war will be placed In the
hands of commissioner Of food ad :
ministration appointed by the presi-
lhent and directly responsible to him.
''The objects sought to be served By
the legislation asked for are:
The Objects Sought.
y Full inquiry into the existing avail
4 able stocks of foodstuffs and into the
n costs and practices of the various food
. producing and distributing trades: the
prevention of all unwarranted hoard
ing of every kind and of the control
n of foodstuffs by persons who are not
in any legitimate sense producers
II dealers or traders: the requisitioning
U when necessary, of public use of food
D. supplies and of the equipment neces-
y sary for handling them properly: the
) licensing Of wholesome and Legitimate
II mixtures and milling percentages; and
Continued on Page Three.)