The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-04-18
WORLD FACES CRISES
in SUPPLY OF FOOD
Alarming Outlook For Spring wheat
Crop This Year Must Far In
coed That of Last.
The National City Bank
of New York.
Nror,- vorly A p,.il I & 10

VI NEW VI II.
New York, April 16, 1917.
To Our Correspondent Banks
And The Public:
In our monthly bulletin we have
repeatedly pressed upon public at
tention the gravity of the situation
which now confronts the world IN
the scarcity of food supplies, but we
would not feel that we had done our
duty if we did not utter final word
of warning and of appeal upon the
subject. The situation grows more
serious as spring advances and the
disaster to the winter wheat crop OIL
this country is understood.
All of Europe-neutral as we'll as
warning countrieS-has been placed
upon food rations to exc out supplies
until the new crop is harvested. This
country entered the present crop year
last July with 164 900, 900 bushels OF
wheat carried over from the crop of
1915, and in 1916 produced 1872
100000 bushels of winter wheat and
15S,000,000 of spring wheat; total
supply, S04,000,000. This year there
will be practically no wheat carried
over and the governments estimate
upon the winter crop forecasts a
yield of only 430,000,000. On this
basis the spring wheat crop must be
214,O00,OO0 bushels larger than last
year in order to give us wheat sup
ply equal to what we will export and
consume in the crop year now clos
ing. This is an alarming outlook.
The spring wheat crop is notorious
ly subject to weather conditions.
More spring wheat should be sown,
but it is doubtful if the wheat short
age can be made up. Other food
crops must be grown to meet the de-
ficiency.
This country is now at war, and
our Allies, Belgium, Great Britain,
France and Italy, are dependent up
on us for food. They will have no
reserves and must have more from
us in the coming year than in the
past, or they will not be able to feed
all their people. Added to the ap-
peals of starving humanity will be
military reasons making it impossi-
BILE for us to put an embargo upon
the expectation of food. We must di-
vide what we grow this year with
these countries, and with the neutral
countries-Holland, Denmark, Nor
way, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain
w A1Ch al AoI LII
grain supplies. And not only must
we supply enough to keep these peo-
pies from starving, but enough to
cover the heavy losses at sea which
result from the submarine warfafe.
If we grow no more food than we
did last year-and so far the out
look is for less-there is danger of a
food situation such as the world in
rNJn hoe Irao Nf
No other country has the resources
in land and population to meet this
emergency but the United States.
There is no business upon which all
other business depends as upon this
Of growing big crop in America
this year. And the work must be
started Immediately. There is no
time to wait on organization from
outside. The emergency can be met
only by spontaneous action in every
State, county and school district,
forming local organizations.
Picture in your mind what condi-
lions will be in our own cities next
winter, and of the effect upon all in
dustry, if food supplies are scarcer
and dearer than they are now. 1t
must be impressed upon everybody
that no wage advances or regulation
of prices can add one busheI of
wheat or potatoes to the supply after
the growing season Is over.
The country is aroused, but mere
alarm will not accomplish results
There must be organized personal
work, headed in every locality by
men of force and influence.
The Governor of Iowa has called
for the enlistment of boys from Is
to 18 to work either in town gard
ems or upon the farms. President
Wilson says that these boys will be
Soldiers of the Commissary" There
are fine possibilities in this idea. The |
boys may be brought to feel that |
they are serving their country as tru-
ly as their older brothers who en-
list IN army or navy; and the girls |
should have chance as well. They |
should have medal to keep as life |
long evidence of their service in the /
last great war-let US hope-of the !
worlds history. |
Some of our correspondent banks |
are arranging for garden plots for
all their clerks. Industrial employ
ers are doing likewise, and will pro-
vide seeds and instruction. Orga-
nized work of this kind with suit
10