The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-05-03
Military Necessity Demands That
Each American Eat Only 1I2
Pounds Wheat Products
Weekly.
CORN AND OATS SUBSTITUTES.
Allies Must Have Wheat Enough to
Maintain Their War Bread
Till Next Harvest.

until the next harvest, and this is a
military necessity, we must reduce our
monthly consumption to 21,000,O01
bushels month as against our nor
NAL consumption of about 42,000,00O
bushels, or 90 per cent. of our normal
consumption. This Is the situation as
set forth by the U. S. Food Admins
tratiOn at Washington. Reserving a
margin for distribution to the army
and for special cases, leaves for gen
eral consumption approximately 1h
pounds of wheat products weekly per
person, the Food Administration S
statement continues: Many of our
consumers are dependent upon bakers
bread. Such bread must be durable
and therefore requires larger proper
ton of wheat products than cereal
breads baked in the household. Our
army and navy require full allow
ance. The well-to-do In our population
can make greater sacrifices in the con-
sumption of wheat products than can
the poor. In addition, our population
In the agricultural districts, where the
other cereals are abundant, are more
skilled in the preparation of breads
from these other cereals than the
crowded city and Industrial popula-
tons.
With improved transportation cOndl-
tons we now have available a surplus
Of potatoes. We also have in the
spring months a surplus of milk, and
we have ample corn and oats for hui
man consumption. The drain on rye
and barley as substitutes has already
greatly exhausted the supply of these
grains.
To effect the needed saving Of wheat
we are wholly dependent upon the
voluntary assistance Of the American
people and we ask that the following
rules shall be observed:
1. HOuseholders to use not to exceed
a total of IN pounds per week of
wheat products per person. This
means not more than IL pounds of
Victory bread containing the required
percentage of substitutes and one-half
pound Of cooking flour, macaroni,
crackers, pastry, pies, cakes, wheat
breakfast cereals, all combined.
2. Public eating places and clubs to
observe two wheatless days per week,
Monday and Wednesday, as at present.
In addition thereto, not to serve to
any one guest at any one meal an
aggregate of breadstuffs. macaroni,
crackers, pastry, pies, cakes, wheat
breakfast cereals, containing a total
Of more than two ounces of wheat
flour. No wheat products to be served
unless specially ordered Public eat
ing establishments not to buy more
than six pounds of wheat products for
each ninety meals served, thus con-
forming with the limitations requested
of the householders.
3. Retailers to sell not more than
one-eighth Of a barrel of flour to any
town customer at any one time and
not more than one-quarter Of a barrel
to any country customer at any one
time, and in no case to sell wheat
products without the sale of an equal
weight Of other cereals.
4. We ask the bakers and grocers to
reduce the volume of Victory bread
sold, by delivery Of the three-quarter
pound loaf where one pound was sold
before, and corresponding proportions
In other weights. We also ask bakers
not to increase the amount Of their
wheat flour purchases beyond 20 per
cent of the average monthly amount
purchased in the four months prior to
March /.
8. Manufacturers using wheat prod
ucts for non-food purposes should
cease such use entirely.
g. There Is no limit upon the use Of
other cereals, flOurs, and meals, corn,
barley, buckwheat, potato -four, ct
cetera.
Many thousand families throughout
the land are now using no wheat prod
ucts whatever, except very small
amount for cooking purposes, and are
doing so In perfect health and satisfac-
ton. There is no reason why all Of
the American people who are able to
cook I'm their own households cannot
subsist perfectly well with the use Of
less wheat products than one and one
half pounds week. and we specially
ask the well-to-do households In the
country to follow this additional pro-
gramme In order that we may provide
the necessary marginal supplies for
those parts Of the community less able
to adapt themselves to so large a pro.
portion Of substitutes.
In order that we shall be able to
make the wheat exports that are alb
solutely demanded of us to maintain
the civil population and soldiers of the
allies and our own army, we propose
to supplement the voluntary co-opera.
ton of the public by a further limita-
ton of distribution, and we shall place
at once restrictions on distribution
which will be adjusted from time to
time to secure as nearly equitable dis
tribution as possible. With the arrival
Of harvest we should be able to relax
such restrictions. Until then we ask
for the necessary patience. sacrifice
and cooperation of the distributing
trades.