The Brinkley argus., 1918-05-24
European Shortage Places Prob- lem Before American Govern ment-Farsighted Policy
 Adopted.
NEED 75,o00,000 BU. WHEAT.
Food Administration Asks Aid of Every American In Gigantic
 Task of Feeding Millions.

It is the food problem over there that makes a food problem over here. If we wished to be supremely selfish and supremely shortsighted-we could go on eating as much as we like and whatever we like, without much diffi- culty or interruption-at least, until the Germans camel
 But we are not doing things in that selfish and suicidal way. We are try. ing to make a great common pool of all of our food, and all of the food of the allies, and all of the food we can get from South American and other neutrals, and dividing 1t up fairly among America, England, France, Bel gium and Italy.
 This does not mean that all of the people in the great pool are going to have the same ration, but means that we are trying to arrange to have enough for everybody, so that the sol. diers-our soldiers and their soldiers will be well fed, as they have to be to fight hard and continuously, and that the munitions workers and the workers in all the other necessary in- dustries, and the men and women at home will all have enough to keep alive and well. It is absolutely neces- sary to do this if the war is to be won, and we are going to do 1t, but it means planning, working, arranging, cooper ating, being careful, not wasting, sav- ing.
 
 one of us has got to help.
 Now, we have enough and more than enough food for ourselves, and the Government is going to see to 1t that we keep here at home a sufficient sup. ply of every essential kind of food to support our people. But over there they simply have not enough. Lord Rhondda, the English food controller, recently cabled the American. food ad- minlstrator, that unless we can send the allies before the next uropean harvest 75,00o, 900 bushels of wheat in addition to what had been sent up to January of thIs year he could not assure the people of the allies that they would have a sufficient supply of food to carry on the war.
 He did not say anything in this cable about the other food necessary, but he has told of these needs in other cables-and by his actions in England. For example, his latest regulation compels a reduction of meat eating in the United Kingdom to q maximum of one pound per week per person, this pound including the bone and other waste parts in the meat as bought in the shop.
 The allies must have more wheat, more meat, more fats, more dairy prod ucts, more sugar. Their harvests were very short-France had less than half her normal crop of wheat-and the available shipping is small in amount and constantly being lessened by sub marines, so that il is now practically impossible to use any ships for the long voyage necessary to bring food from Australia and other remote marle.s. The food must come chiefly from America. In specific figures 1t is nee essary for us to send to the allies 100000 tons of foodstuffs a month. This Is q great responsibility and great problem The food must be found, and also the ships 10 carry It. It is being done, but can only coGtnIe to be done ny the help and full O. operation of all of us over our broad land We must produce and save more.
 To supply the wheat ncccss"Ty until the next harvest, we must reduce our consumption by from one fourth 10 one-third; we must cut down OUT usual average consumption of meats and fats by from 10 to l5 per cent. and dairy products by about 10 per cent.
 Over there they are tightening their belts and doing everything they can. They are eating war bread; they are cutting down their sugar h England to two pounds per person Der month, and in France and Italy to one pound how much are you eating?-and they are using ration cards for most of the staples We must meet sacrifice with sacrifice. If we don't, we are helping to lose the war instead of helping to win 1t.