Omaha daily bee., 1918-04-09
HQARDED WHEAT
MUST Be GIVEN
Up IMMEDIATELY
NattIes Wires That Govern.
ment Will No Longer Delay
Action in Cases Where
F00dStuffs Are Held.

With the return OF Gurdon w.
Wattles, federal food administrator,
this week, immediate steps will be
taken to requisition wheat and to as
sure its marketing. There is wheat
being held in Nebraska, but in the
last week, much has been marketed
be>2uoe Of the government appeal.
Not only will the marketing be
gwen close supervision, but strict en-
1orcement OF all rules will be inl-
perat1ve. The Nebraska administra-
ton has been compelled to resort to
the drastic penalty OF license revoca-
t1on i'll numerous instances. The
otenses have been fragrant and in
iiear Y every instance the attempt to
Justify was the old excuse of ignor-
ance OF the rules. This excuse does
not 90 any more with the enforcement
division. Rather it assures drastic
penalty.
The rules must be observed" writes
Natt'es. And il the offender pleads
IGnor2rce, that's his lookout. not
ours. The newspapers are giving un-
u>ua! publicity to rules and there's no
excuse Ior anyone not knowing the
rulcs.
Must Sow More Spring Wheat.
To meet the allies demands for
Nneat during the coming year. it is
necessary to increase the production
OF spring wheat 00 per cent. And to
meet the allied requirements until the
reEt harvest it IS imperative that the
consumption OF wheat be reduced
i'll t oNe-hali
The foregoing emphatic statement
comes from the Federal Food Ad-
mini5tration OF Nebraska after direct
advices from Washington
The production Of wheat in the
United States must reach total OF
900,0O0.000 bushels in 1918" says the
Nebraska administrations. OF this
amount. two-thirds will be required
for domestic consumption, if we are
to avoid a repetition OF the wheat
s'ortGge which now exists and which
las occasioned the dsastic practice OF
limiting our consumption to one-half
our ordinary requirement
The Required Demand
During 1918 we must export 5O0,-
OO0,Q00 bushels. That's the least the
allies can get along with. Our winter
wheat crop on the latest survey shows
possible production OF 5400O0,000
bushels. This means that the spring
wheat crop must total 560000,00O
bushels. Our 1917 spring crop
amounted TO 2J2,00O000 bushels.
which necessitates all increase OF TO
per cent to meet the 1918 demand.
An carly survey OF Nebraska plan
ting indicated that the increase In
acreage would be about 80 per cent.
But more recent reports tend to the
belief that this figure will be mater
tally increased
The 1918 crop is as important as
the conservation plans for immediate
needs. But i'll meeting the present
needs we are facing condition which
will not be denied and the exports
will 60 to Europe, even if every citizen
OF the United States has to forego
the Use Of wheat until the next crop. !
The Present Problem.
Our present problem is to meet a
demand for 100000 bushels OF
wheat out of a total reserve of all |
kinds, of l75,000,000 bushels. BY |
supplying this 75,000,000 bushels, and |
it is going to be done, there will be
left l00,000,000 bushels for domestic
use. Our ordinary requirements for
The period are 200000,000 bushels, so
T means a half reduction.
That is why householders are
being asked to use one-half. or one
and one-half pounds per person per
week. It is the reason retailers are
being asked to sell substitutes pound
ior-pound and why bakers are being
asked to cut down wheat in bread and
make the Il ounce loaf do what the
l6 ounce loaf did before. j..
"A significant feature of the present
reserve is that of the 175,000,000 !
bushels available, 100000 bushels
are on the farms. Hence the appeal
TO market all wheat and the decision