The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-08-20
" b y = - u
HOOVER \ Tells
FOOD SITUATION.
hi II ------- - Y.
America Is Production and Needs
Of the Allied Nations Set
,s Forth IA.
Is GREAT PROBLEM
OF WORLD GoNFL1cT.

S~ ~1SA9x3A xb0ooG1M
OF WORLD GoNFL1cT
Washington, AUS. 2O,-1lerbert O.
Hoover, United States food adininis-
traitor. today ISSUED to the American
public his statement covering the food
situation as it now exists and the me-
cessity of conserving the food re-
sources OF the nation to provide for
the future during the continuance of
the: war; The statement follows: :.
Food Is always more or less of
problem'in every phase Of It's produc-
tion, handling and consumption. It Is
a problem with every farmer. every
transporter and seller, every house
holder: It is a problem with every
town, state and nation. And now, worry
conspicueusly, tits a problem with
three great groups Of nations, namely,
the allies, the central empires and the
neutrals in a wordit is u great inter.
national problem. TIRE
The food problem today Of our own
nation, therefore has as Its most con-
spicuOus phase an international charac-
ter. A sufficient and regular supply
OF food for the maintenance of the
great field armies Of our fighting allies
and Of their no less great armies OF
working men and working women in
the war industries, and finally for the
maintenance of the women and chill
dren in the home is an absolute ne
cessity, second to no other, for the
successful prosecution of the war for
liberty. In the providing of this food
for the great allied food pool, the Unit
ed States plays a predominant part.
With the present diversion of tens of
millions of men from the farms into
the fighting and industrial armies re-
sulting in u marked lessening of food
production, and tho present necessity
of increasing the daily ration of other
millions Of men turned from selentary
occupations into those Of strenuous
physical labor, resulting in a marked
increase Of consumption, this deficiency
between the food needs and the food
production Of the allies becomes great
er than ever, with, the consequence Of
a large increase in the food quantities
imperativelv needed from the United
States if the allied armies are to be
able to "carry on Tx "a
Y: Worlds Larder Examined.
This is general statement Of con-
dition which only needs to be elabor-
ated in detail to show just what we
have to do. The time has come when
this detailed statement can be made.
Our harvest and the harvests Of Eu-
rope can, now be forecast. We can
also survey our combined stocks of
food animals; in other words, the size
Of that part Of the. worlds larder on
which we, and the allies can draw for
the next twelve months can now be es-
timated. This estimate shows at once
that it contains too little for our own
and our allies use unless we all adj
minister the supply with the greatest.
care and wisdom. The allied peoples
are energetically undertaking this adj
ministration. It lies now with us. to
do our part. If we fail, the people Of
the allies cannot be maintained at war.
Their soldiers cannot fight without
food. A certain definitely determine
bic part of that food must come from
US. Let us then examine carefully the
worlds larder as it appears today, or
80 much of it as is at our disposal.
l propose to review the situation
first. as regards the cereals, second, as
regards food animals and their prod
ucts, third, as regards sugar, fourth,
as regards vegetables, fifth, as regards
fish and sea foods, and, finally as re-
CARDS our duty in the matter.
s*t."> - g." Cereals. -. ~
The 1917 harvest is now so far ad-
vanced. that we may compare it with
previous production, and with the de-
mands which are going to be made on.
1t. a>.' - = q -. . s''''sf'
T0ble NO. ] Is given to snow the
normal peace sources of the annual
supplies of! France, Italy, the United,
Kingdom and Belgium, being an aver
age of the three-year prc-war period.
It will be seen from this table that
the normal imports of wheat are $751;
100000 bushels and of other cereals
345O0O,O0O bushels. The estimate Of
the 1917 harvest in, the allied countries
based upon crop reports from these
countries, is as follows: 4s- ia, .s
s. Probable Av. nor Deficiency
Com 1917 pro- NAL pro- In prod'n
modify. duction. duction. due to war.
Wheat 1893, 77o,GOO 59o,67s.OOO 196, 9O5, 900
Corn .... A,464,000 12l,109.0O0 26.645.0Oe
Oats ss7 ,2s5 900 57o,sso,oOO 23s, 900
Barley %. 1885, 600 5,201 900 31,6160oO
Rye ...... II, 1884, 900 7S,T3,00O - &c, s41. 900
Total. 1850. ,0Oo- 14s6, 44s,oOo So, 662 900
In order to provide normal cOnsump-
ton it would therefore be necessary to
import in the next II months total
Of 577,OOO,OOO bushels of wheat and
C7A nm OOO huSholS Of Other cprpa1S