The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1917-11-09
SAVING OF FOOD
WILL WIN The WAR
Worlds Shortage Demands
Conservation of Wheat,
Meat, Fat and Sugar.

Herbert Hoover, in a recent address
situation thus:
have been asked to review the rea-
sons why we are pleading with the
American people for stimulation of
our food production, for care, thought
and economy in consumption and elm
ination of waste. Further, l wish to
review the methods by which these
things may be accomplished.
Briefly the reasons are simple. Our
Allies are dependent upon us for food
and for quantities larger than we have
ever before exported They are the
first line of our defense, and our
money, or ships, or life blood, and, not
least, our food supply, must be Of
common stock. If we cannot maintain
our Allies in their necessities, we can
not expect them to remain constant
in war. If their food fails, we shall
be left alone in the fight, and the west
ern line will move to the Atlantic sea
board 1t is thus a matter of our own
safety and self-interest. 1t is more
than this-it is a matter of humanity
that we give of our abundance that we
relieve suffering.
1t is not difficult to demonstrate
their needs, the volume of our obliga-
ton, and the necessity of great effort
on our part In normal pre-war times,
England, Ireland, France, Italy and
Belgium were to a large degree de-
pendent upon imports for their food
supplies. They yearly imported over
10000, 900 bushels CT Grain together
with vast quantities Of animal and fat
products. Belligerent lines have cut
off their supplies from Russia, Bull
garia, and Roumania, and the de-
mands of Germany on surrounding
neutrals have reduced the supplies
from those quarters. OF more impor-
lance, however, is that the submarine
destruction of shipping has necessi-
tated that the farthest distant markets
should be wholly or partially aban-
doned. The great markets of Aus
tralia and the Indias are now only
partially accessible, and gradually the
more remote markets will be more
and more restricted until year from
now when our own new ships will be
in numbers to help. The last harvest
in the Argentine was a failure, and
until the next harvest, even that con.
tribution to their supplies is cut off.
Beyond this again, much food is lost
at sea-perhaps ten per cent of the
actual shipments are sunk enroute.
Therefore, the load of even normal
imports is thrown upon North Ameri-
ca-the nearest and safest route.
OF no less concern than the dislo-
cation of markets and the losses at
among the Allies. If forty million
men are taken out of productive labor
and put into war and war work, there
can only be one result, and that is
diminution in production of food
Further contributing causes to this
diminution are the lessening in the
amount of fertilizer which is available,
through shortage of shipping and
losses at sea, and the consequent re-
duction in the productivity of the soil
itself. This year the decrease in pro-
duction stands out in more vivid sill
houette than ever before.
Tale of the Inventory.
We have had stock-taking by the
various food administrators and de-
partments of agriculture in Europe,
and they find that the production Of
cereals this year has diminished about
525, 000, 900 bushels of grain below nor
NAL. This shortage in production,
added to normal imports, gives 1885,
600 900 bushels Of grain that must be
| imported by the Allies during the next
twelve months, If consumption is kept
normal Their cattle, sheep and hogs
have diminished by over 30.000.000 an
finals, and these reductions are bound