The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-09
Plan TO ENROLL
TEN MILLION In
FOOD CAMPAIGN,
.WORKUNDER Way
DIR. E. F. Ladd Makes
Statement of Purpose
and Plan of Operation
BIG WEEK rs SET
FOR SIGNING UP
October 81 to % Set Apart
As Time For Nation
wide Drive


the nationwide food pledge campaign
maintained by the United States food
administration, and directed in North
Dakota by DR.. e. r. Ladd; state pure
food director, was made today by
DIR. Ladd. The statement OF purpose
and plan follows:
Ten million food conservation
pledges! Twenty-Five million homes
visited! A National campaign prof.
ected so large in its scope that the
work to be accomplished is as great
as though a census of the country
were to be taken in a week!
such is the program outlined for
the food pledge week campaign, Oct.
.21 to 2s.
what is it all about?
why so much fuss?
What are the motives back Of
such a tremendous drive?
"In every state thousands of peo-
pie are asking these questions while
thousands of others are preparing
themselves to furnish a complete
answer to the query.
Reasons Broad and Plain.
"The reasons why the food pledge
campaign has been projected upon
such broad lines are simple enough,
plain enough.
$50 simple and so plain that they
have been stated in the compass OF
a card-a card that it is proposed to
hang in every home Of the land-a
card that is the war creed Of the
kitchen, because. so closely are the
people in this country linked to the
world war, that one Of the phases Of
the struggle must be fought out in
the American kitchen.
'Tf soldiers are 70 fight they must
be fed. For the past three years, one
41v one, our allies across the sea have
been taking the raegl fF8Ir tine farm
and from the factory and sending
them TO the firing line. Each man
sent to the firing line meant one less
who could be relied upon to helm
produce the food that will win the
war;.
Kitchen War Creed First.
England. France, Italy. and Bel
gium, says the war creed Of the
kitchen, which, after all, completely
states the problem and presents the
solution, taken together, even in
times of peace import forty per cent
OF their foodstuffs, but now with
their millions upon the firing line,
they must import more heavily than
before.
There are stores of wheat in
Australia. There is food in South
America, but ships are scarce. Time
is a vital factor. The voyage to
Australia and to South America
takes too long. If the need of those
who fight for uR across the sea 10
to be met, the Apod that sustains
those fighters must come from this
country.
FIGHTER Worthy of His Food:
'Tf the laborer is worthy Of his
hire, surely the fighter Is worthy OF
his food. That is principle uni
versally accepted by the American
public. However, warns the United
States food administration. it is not
every product that can be sent
across the sea. Corn will not serve
the need; our allies have never used
it as a food; they have no mills TO
grind it: turn It into meal in this
country and it would spoil before 1t
could reach a European port. There
are Just four classes Of products. the
experts say, that we must send 20
our allies If our duty to them Is 70
be discharged; they need meat,
wheat. sugar and dairy products.
But, say the experts. who have gath-
cred the figures, unless American
CONSUMPTION OF those foodstufrs Is
reduced below the normal consump-
ton our reserve win not be large
enough to meet the need. And 50
the problem becomes a simple one
at least when studied. We can con-
serve our wheat by increasing our
consumption OF other grains we
can conserve our. meat by making
greater demand upon the resources
OF the Ash market. All Of these are
expedients known to the American
housewife.
Autocratie Food Control.
IF the United States were an au-
tocratic country there would be no
popular appeal for the conservation
of food. There would be an auto
cratic food control. The mailed nst
would rule in the kitchen. Imperial
food DEGREES would be enforced ~
the point of the bayonet. But ours
Is not an autocratic country. food
control Is in the hands Of the people
fbaraeelves. and il is to the people
that the food administration mas ap-
pealsd IN the Food Pledge Card cam
paign 80. ..t.
annaa1 an unprecedented adventure
in democracy aventure that Will
determine wheLner or not a demo-
cratic form OF government is, a1ter
all fitted to engage in a death grap-
pie with an autocracy.
ssThe appeal in the Food Pledge
Week campaign is that the homes Of
this country be enrolled as members
~ The United States food admint-
stration. Broadly speaking the United
sfates food administration includes
every man, woman, and child IN ths
TTrffaa states. because food control
ta IL the hands Of the people.
.sThe Food Pledge Week cam
pairn. therefore, resolves itself into