Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-02-22
Eastern States Likely to tx
perience Severe Hardships
for Coming Two Months,
Says Administrator, b
RAIL CONGESTION IS
ASSIGNED AS CAUSE
Warning Issued to Nation
Points Out That America
Has Fallen Far Behind
Schedule With Allies. .s

tsY MORNING JOURNAL efeclAh LEASED 'Ntl
Washington, Feb. 21.--The eastern
part of the United States faces food
shortage likely to continue for tho
next sixty days.
In making tnis disclosure tonight
Food Administrator Hoover declared
that the situation is the most critical
in the country's history and that IN
many of the large consuming areas
reserve food stores are at the point
of exhaustion.
Blame on Railroads.
The whole blame is put by the food
administrators on railroad congestion,
which. he says, has thrown the food
administration far behind IN its pro-
gram for feeding the allies. The only
solution he sees is a greatly .increaseu
rail movement of foodstuffs even 10
the exclusion of much other com
merce.
II was even evident tonight that tho
railroad administration is inclined 70
resent Mr.. Hoover's blame OF ina
railroads and Director General NC
Adoo declared he was ready 70 pro
vide every TRANSFORMATION facility tor
expediting food. The railroad admin
istration. he said, had suggested that
farmers be urged to release their
grain holdings that largo numbers OF
available cars might be utilized in
moving them.
Cereals Far Short.
Cereal exports to the allies, Mr
| Uooyer's statement says, VIII pc fa,,h
| 600 900 bushels short on March J ana
meat shipments also are far snort OF
| the amounts promises,
Inability to move the crops Mr.
Hoover sets forth, has suspended tno
| law Of supply and demand, mas crea
ed n price margin between prooueer
| ana consumer wider than 1t ever was
before. a..
A large part of the corn crop Is
| ahout tn spoil because II is not NOV
| ing to terminals for drying. The per
centage of soft corn in last years crop.
all of which must be dried II Y rs 10
no saved, is the largest ever known.
estimates place the amount as hisn
as q billion bushels. ta
/ Stoclsmen Hard Hit.
The cost Of grains for feeding i've.
stock has increased to such an exte,N
by reason OF transportation aiIIicu
ties. MIR Hoover says, that feeders ato
confronted with the prospect OF seri-
/ Gus losses. Dairying interests, WV a'
declares, are hard hit. ~
| Potatoes, the food administrator De.
clares. are spelling in the producers
hands while consumers have oeen
sppplied only from summer sarden
/ crops and stores carried over.
Mr.. Uooyer's statement follows; :.
i an response to many inquiries I
beg to say 1t is true that since tne
first of December we have fallen iat
lbehins our agreed food program WIN
the allies. BY the end OF FepruaIy
we will be short 4b.000,oo0 pusheis ,, N
cereal products which we unoer'9un 2us
az our share OF their supplies W.
/. will also be short of the amount nf
meat and pork products that we wera
IN deliver, This deficiency Is aus
solely to the railway congestion since
that date. The railway directorate
since coming into control on Janua,s N,
had made effort to find a remeayl
hut during the month of January the
weather was insiperable and a!thougn
progress has been made since the fifth
of February the situation Is tne aos
cumulation Of three months deiays (
Next Months Test. ..ftg
"The next sixty days will be the
most critical period in our food his-
tory The simple fact is that the PROB
lem goes far deeper than supplies 70
! the allies. During the last thres
months we have far fallen behind IN
J movement of foodstuffs from tina
farms to the consuming and storage
centers. I'D TO the first of February
less than so per cent OF the norman
I ratio of corn has been moved. less
than so per cent of the oats and less
+ than so per cent of the potatoes.
From November to January W.
I were short In the usual movement oI
grains and grain products into tn7
terminals alone by over 10000 car
loads--over 100000 bushels--and
this was further aggravated by SINH
lar shortage outside the terminals
= "Furthermore. this wear we haVe
4 the largest percentage of soft corn IN
: many years, and though we nave
:. record crop of corn. consderaoift
!, norton of the soft corn Will be iott
= by spelling unless 1t can be moved =
the next sixty days 30 the Crying tef-
d minals, The least amount Of gram
> that must be loaded for the next Sky
Y, days is 10000 bushels per day
III and we have not yet attained tnat.
1T Less than this will solve neither the
% allied nor our domestic situation.
% Few Potatoes Moved.
eve have about 130 900 carloads OF
= notatoes on November 1 which should
- have been moved from the principal
= nroducing centers. and up to the firs'
I, ~ February we had moved about 2s.r
y ooo carloads, while We should haVs
u moved over so, 900 in this period. Ths
as rasuIt is that potatoes are piled W
10 snoiIins in the producers hands. anu
OF tbe consuming centers have only beer
IL s,,nnlied by virtue of the summer
Gardens and other stores carried ovei
d. from last year. There is great dea
rn ~ live stock which has been ready fol
e. the market for some time, but Is str
held in the farmers hands throusf
Nj