The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-08-11

Vile, are matched in the first consola-
coed with a host of punitive measures
but rather by coordination with the
various trades to effect such con
structive regulations as will render
gambling, eXtortion and other waste
full practices impossible and will sta
Billie prices. Indulgence in profiteer-
ing in this hour of national danger is
far from the wish or the will of the
vast majority of our business people
and l am convinced that while we
must have ready in reserve the cor
receive powers given us, we shall by
these powers free the great majority
from necessity to compete with oper-
ators whose sole effort is to initiate
prices and bring into disrepute the
majority of honest traders. We pro-
pose to proceed as rapidly as possible
with constructive regulation in various
commodities and to announce each pro-
gramme as quickly as it is properly
formulated We hope within the next
few days to announce the method of
wheat and flour control.
MUST FEED ARMIES
The deep obligation is upon us to feed
the armies and the peoples associates
with us in this struggle. The diversion
Of 10000 600 of their men to war or war
work; the additional millions of women
drafted to the places of their husbands
and brothers; the toll of the submarine,
have all conspired to so reduce produc-
ton that their harvests this autumn will
fall oOo'00O0O0 bushels of grain below their
normal production. Always dependent
upon import from other countries for a
substantial part of their food needs, our
western European allies because of the
obstruction of shipping by submarine and
the isolation from the normal markets
by belligerent lines, are forced to large
degree upon our markets.
Therefore whereas we exported be-
fore the war but 100000 bushels of
wheat per annum, this year, by one means
or another, we must find for them 225,-
100000 bushels, and this in the fact Of
a short crop. Our best will but partly
meet their needs for even then they
must reduce their bread consumption 25
per cent and it will be war bread they
must eat-war bread. of which large
portion consists of other cereals
KILLING STOCK ANIMALS
Already the greater call for meat and
animal products, due to the stress of war
on the millions of men on the fighting
line, and the enhanced physical labor of
populat tons ordinarily subssting on light
er diets, coupled with the inadequate
world supply, have compelled our allies
to kill upwards of SO, 100000 head of their
stock animals. This is burning the can
die at both ends, for they are thus sitting
their annual production. Therefore, not
only must we increase their supplies of
meat and dairy products but must pre-
pare as war goes on to meet an even
greater demand for these necessary COM
modities.
France and Italy. formerly produced
their own sugar, while England and Ire
land imported largely from Germany. Ow-
ing to the inability Of the first namsd
to produce more than one-third of their |
needs and the necessity for the others |
to import from other markets. they all
must come o the West Indies for very |
large supplies and therefore deplete our
own resources.
CONCENTRATED FOODS
Because of the shortage of shipping
only the most concentrated of foods |
wheat, grain beef, pork and dairy prod |
ucts and sugar, can be sent across the |
seas. Fortunately, we have for our own |
use a superabundance of, foodstuffs of !
other kinds-the perishable, fish, corn
and other cereals, and surely our first
manifest duty is to substitute these for |
those other products which are of greater |
use to our fellow-fghters.
Our second is to eliminate waste to |
the last degree. Seventy per cent of our
people are we'll known to be as thrifty |
and careful as any in the world and |
they consume but little or no more than
is necessary to maintain their physical |
They can, however, substitute |
foods as above 1t is not too much to ask |
the other 80 per cent, by simplest living |
to reduce their consumption. The sub |
situations we ask impose no hardships |
and the elimination of waste is today no
more than a patriotic service
EVERY ounce of waste is a contribution |
toward starvation. Our allies have re-
duced consumption by the most drastic |
- T. l, II
consumption to those in war work and |
engaged in other physical labor.
FALLS ON AGED
Therefore, the incidence of this drastic |
reduction among our allies falls upon the |
old people and the women and children, |
and any shortage in the supplies we may |
send them will fall upon this class and |
this class only, for until they are reduced |
to starvation they themselves will insist |
on every sacrifice in order that their |
fighters in the trenches and the men and |
women in the munition factories may be |
maintained.
This war is a struggle to assure the |
dominance of democracy. Every flag that I
flies against the central powers is by |
proxy the American flag. Every man in |
the rank of the allies, every woman and /
child in Europe sacrificing in the main
tenance of these men, are fighting in our |
defense
AMERICA HAS SUFFICIENT
1--WE have in our abundance and in our |
waste, an ample supply to carry them
and ourselves over this next winter with
out suffering. If we fail, it is because in
dividual American citizens have failed to /
see and do this loyal national duty. This |
is service in which every man, woman
and child in this country may enter. We J
shall invite all classes and all trades to |
sign a volunteer pledge to cooperate with |
us in the undertaking and so become as
much members of the food administration |
as we ourselves are.
There is no royal road to food con-
seryation. 1t can be accomplished only |
through sincere ad earnest daily coop
Grafton in the 20, 0000 900 kitchens and at the |
2O,000O0O dinner tables of the United |
States If we can reduce our consump tion !
of wheat flour by one pound, our meat by |
seven ounces our fat by seven ounces |
our sugar by seven ounces per person per |
week, these quantities, multiplied by 100.- |
900 600, will immeasurabiy aid and encour- |
age our allies, help our own growing ar
mics and so effectively serve the great
and noble cause of humanity in which
our nation has embarked.
This cooperation and service of all
in full confidence that America will rem
der more for flag and freedom than king
ridden peoples surrender at compulson."