Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-11-30
NO E"XPORTABLE
WHEAT IN u. S.
America, in Keeping Allies in Fight
: ing Efficiency, Must Do It
Out of Conservation
GREAT DUTY, RESTS ON PUBLIC
ROOD Administrator Hartness Says
Every Ounce of Wheat Saved is
an Ounce Released to Allies

ner, federal food administrator for
Vermont, just returned from Wash
lngton where he attended a conference
between Federal Food Administrator
Herbert Hoover and the food admin
1strators Of the several states, de-
clared today that the country is far
from being awakened to the serious
ness of the food situation in the AL
lied world and consequently is not in
a position to realize the responsible
ty that Is placed upon every individ-
ual to help In solving the great prob
lem Of keeping our fighting allies sup
piled with food.
The problem of feeding the Allies
Is more serious than the food admin
lstratlon thought last summer it
would become" Mr.. Hartner said.
The continuance Of the war, from
the Allied side, depends on the daily
and monthly arrival over there of
given ships which leave our shores
laden with the food supplies for
which there is such an imperative de-
AAehb IL Jul allies are u MAINTAIN
their fighting efficiency.
The general food situation is made
doubly complex by the shortage of
ships, and it is not too much to say
that If defeat comes to the Allies it
will be because the problem of food
and ships was not solved. The great
handicap imposed by the shipping
shortage is shown by the fact that
while there it not left in the United
States a single eXportable bushel of
wheat Chat is, not a bushel now re-
mains over our normal requirements),
the Australian crop of 1915 has only
half been moved, the 1916 export r
has not been touched at all, and now
Australia is coming in with its 1917
yield, none Of which can not yet be
tapped because We can not detach
ships for such a long voyage.
THE Argentine has a big wheat
crop, but carrying that to Europe au-
tomatically lessons the tonnage as a
consequence of lengthening the voy-
age, and moreover, Argentine wheat
can not become a factor before the
middle of January. This means that
supplying the Allies with wheat be-
comes purely a question of conserva-
ton. The United States and Canada
must carry the load until the middle
Of January, and the United States
must do 1t out of conservation en-
ffrnIu This mnone tho~ who1 49, IT,
dividual refrains from eating a piece
of bread or any other food contain
ing wheat, he is releasing just so
much for war purposes.
"The individual may be certain that
this means exactly what it says:
every ounce of wheat saved Is an
more for Jul fighting allies.
To this narrow margin has the worlds
available wheat supply come. This
situation places a great responsibility
On the individual American. Can there
be normal consumption of wheat
foods when it Is realized that the
fighting nations stand in such need
Of that commodity? Shall I insist up
Oh plCdd III NdhS anu PIC "ISu L
know that by so doing l I'M depriving
a fighting agency of im~peratively
needed foodH That Is the question
the American people must ask them
selves continually now.
sour Allies are not asking us for
anything they do not actually need,
and We must remember that they are
asking It with a right and an In
sistenoe that must be needed. AmeJ1-
Ca must follow In the same path. Con-
serpation Is now on a voluntary basis.
but how long X can remain there de-
ponds upon the extent Of the vofun-
tary saving and whether the general
situation improves or becomes worse.
But the American people should real
ice that they have come to the part
ing Of the ways. Waste and unneces-
sary consumption of certain foods
must come to an end either volun-
tarily or by some measure Of repres-
sion.
ITO obtain a picture Of what a food
shortage means, let 1t be said that the
recent Russian revolution was moth
ing but a monster food riot, which
will be followed by others because
the transport situation is such in that
unhappy country that supplies can not
be distributed. There will be more
suffering and revolt in the centers of
population the coming winter. In Italy
the food situation brought about riots
and weakened the morale of the army.
because men at the front lose their
war enthusiasm when they learn that
dear ones at home are going hungry.
Il hope the sixty-five Thousand odd
patriotic Vermont families who signed
ths food conservation pledge card will
realize that their call to the colors
has been sounded and that they win
redoubie their efforts along lines of
Substitution and conservation suggest
ed in the kitchen card. I also hope
that those who did not sign the card
for any reason will reconsider their
o.&ton In uiaw ~ tho {poraogod gnrI-