Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-12
HOTEL MEN Of
 SOUTH TAKE ALL
 WHEAT OFF TABLE
Meeting in New Orleans Demonstrates Patriotism
 of Southern Hotels.

That the hotel men of the South have awakened to the needs of the country in food conservation is shown by the following extract from the New Orleans Picayune:
 Joseph F. Smith. acting proprietor, Gaines Hotel and store, Alexandria, La: We are at war with hell. Sell or feed no more wheat products be- fore next harvest-C. VI. Gaines"
 "G p. Apperson, Hotel Riveria, Bi- loxi. Miss Turn over all wheat pro ducts of any character to nearest gro cery store. to be sold for our account. Let this be done at once.-J. W. A3- person"
 The Inaz Tiotel. Flock haven: Have taken pledge not to use any more four or wheat products Don't use any more after tonight Dispose of all wheat products on hand at any price. R. T. Schenck."
 The above teIegrams just about tells the story of the first days session of the annual joint convention Of the Southern Interstate Hotel association and the Louisiana Hotel association, held Monday in the St. Charles Hotel.
 The telegrams are among many sent to hotels throughout the South Mon day night by hotel proprietors who are attending the convention and who. shortly before the session closed Won day. solemnly took pledge not to use wheat four or any other wheat products until the next crop IS har- vested
 The pledge followed an address by John EMc. Bowman, president of the .eonpanv that operates the Baltimore Manhattan and Ansonia hotels of New York. lie fs the biggest hotel man ln the country. MT Bowman is one Of Mr. Ho0ver's chief assistants. being lat the head of the hotel. restaurant and dining car division of the Food Administration.
 MT. Bowman pleaded with the hotel and restaurant men of the South to do away with the use of all wheat or wheat products. explaining how neces- sarv it is that wheat be conserved for shipment. to the American army in France and to our allies. He quoted la message received by the Food Ad- ministration from England's food con trcller only few weeks ago, stating that the allies will need 10,00o,0 ,0Oe bushels Of wheat to keep the armies in the field until after the next crop is harvested. and that the allies will not hold themselves responsible for anything that may happen should America fail to supply that amount of wheat
 We are in a hell of Q fix Mir Bow man said. We're short of every tlling--wc're oversold We haven't enough wheat. meat. sugar, corn anything People have just got to save food Our allies must have if if they are to continue the fight. Our own soldiers must have it. Why, a man can't walk into your office and ask for job if he's hungry-hasnt got the nerve. Then how do you ex- nect a soldier to go over the top and battle the Hun if he's hungry
 'Hotels and restaurants must abso- lutely get along without wheat for any purpose. Those who are running a sandwich business may not be able to eliminate wheat entirely, but they can at least cut their consumption away down. Those of us who can afford to save wheat must save it for the others and hotels and the average restau- rant can afford it.
 The South, during the awful days of the Civil war lived without wheat and practically without meat. I ask you to go back to those days. to live up to the things you lived up to then, for they were wonderful. Don't think you can't get along without wheat You can.'