The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-25
'f59H0EV N1IL NECESSITY.
4u6EucA MUST CUT DOWN IT'S
CONSUMPTION OF FOOD.
srUFFS. HOOVER
SAYS.
Ves'ety o. Causes Make Available
snppay Very Short In all Countries
reduction In Wheat Flour Used
Elre Suggestion of Food Expcrt.

London. April ,2l.--The first and
niost important duty Of the Ameri-
can people to their allies il to econo.
niiss on foodstuffs. This is the ap-
Peal Of Herbert c. Hoover chairman
OF the American commission for re-
hsf IN Belgium. and recently appoint.
"a head Of the American food board
IL we do not do it," he declared
To-Day to the Associated Press, 1--WE
sand grave chance Of losing the
war. because our allies can not fight
without food. Our enemies are CAL
culating that America will fail II
this and our allies will need to give
IN. America can upset these CAL
citations"
Ar. Hoover's observations were
made after three weeks of consulta-
dom with members Of tho British
French and italian cabinets. He
also investigated the food and ship
pfns situations and plans for Amer
so'sn cooperation. The net result he
arrived at was that between now and
'th's next harvest 1t would REQUIRE
supreme effort by the American
people.
III feel It my duty to emphasize,
Mr. Hoover continued. "that the food
situation b one Of the utmost grav-
ity which. unless II is solved, may
possibly result In the collapse of ev-
eryvhins we hold dear in civiliza-
tion.
Tho total stock Of food today
available In the allied world is sim
ply not SUFFICIENT to last until Sep
tsmber II America continues its pres
snt rate Of consumption.
We are now face to face with the
result Of last years poor harvest the
diversion OF man power from agri-
cuIeure all over the world. the un-
availing efforts Of European women
TO plant available fields fully, the
isolstion Of Russia. the sinking of
food ships and many other, causes.
england. France and italy are
reducing consumption by drastic
stsps. but even with all this reduc-
tion they must have from us during
the next three months more than |
twice as much food as we should |
have exported normally or than we
can send II We consume as usual.
"The only hope Of providing the
deficiency Ia by the elimination of
waste and actual and rigorous self
sacrifice on part of the American peo-
pie.
The barest essentials the allies
must have are. primarily. wheat and
pork products; secondarily. meat
corn and beans. They need a mini
mum Of 90,0oo.000 bushels of wheat
from North America. more than twice
today's apparent surplus on normal
export basis.
There is no time to reorgarize the
dietary Of Europe. To carry the al
lies over until the next harvest we
must reduce our wheat consumption
30 per cent. This means that every
man. woman and child must forego
one loaf of wheat bread per week and
eat something else or less generally.
"More than 20 per cent. Of Ameri-
can homes already are places OF thrift,
economy and a clean plate. In the
remaining 80 per cent. no one can
deny that there Is pronigate extrava-
gance and waste. Temperance in en-
tertaniment. food and drink Is likely
to become no longer an ethical ques-
ton among this class. but a grim i'm
preston of war. We must also plant
everything and everywhere 1t will
grow or next year this time the food
problem will be absolutely unsolvable
sdn the world will face absolute star
vation.
'T do not believe there will be any
necessity rigidiy TO ration the Ameri-
can people for II democracy Is Of any
value as n spiritual and political faith
the personal initiative and willingness
to volunteer self-sacriflce OF every
member of the greatest democracy in
the world will be ample to solve the
problem.
During the past fortnight we have
with the collaboration Of the Ameri-
can ambassadors In Europe laid the
ground work for inter-allied coopera-
tion In handling and transporting the
vast fool supplies required from
America. one result OF which will tend
to ameiiorate the rise In prices.
1T have proposed plan by which
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