The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-03-23
BURDEN OF PR|vAT|ON.
AMERICANS AT HOME MUST
LEARN TO BEAR THEIR
SHARE OF WAR.
Eloquent Outline of What The War
Means to the Civilian Population of
francc-1he Price We Too Must
Fay for Victory and Peace.


increasing exports of that food to
france, declared Andre Tardieu.
French High Commissioner to the
onited States, in an address he de-
iiyered here tonight before the South
ern Commercial Congress.
You must do it because il is case
or necessity, because it must be done"
asserted M. Tardieu. "For these last
three months the shipments of ce
reais from America to Europe have
been short about one-thrd of the SUD-
ply recognized as indispensable to
strictly. compressed needs"
Summing up some of the economies
OF food practiced in France and to
emphasize his request for more food
from America, Nj. Tardieu said:
! You are aware that the French
nation has always lived mostly on
wheatbread. Our pre-war consump
ton was 100000 tons per month. Our
present consumption has been now
reduced to $4,000 tons, O. reduction of
about 25 per cent.
"Of course it was impossible to re-
duce to any great extent the bread
ration Of the soldier. That ration.
which amounted in the first years OF
the war to about 25 ounces, has been
progressively cut down to a little over
Fl ounces.
But, on the other hand, as regards
the civilian population, we had to
establish the individual bread-card.
allowing only about 10 ounces per
day. which means barely the third
part of the average daily bread con-
sumption of the French peasant or
workman before the war.
Feeding of horses and cattle on
cereals which could be used for the
making of bread has been prohibited.
This resulted in decrease of, so per
cent. in the number Of horses in
France and in an important reduction
OF our cattle.
1--WE have radically suppressed, on
the other hand, all -four, consuming
industries. The manufactu of
biscuits, and of pastry, has been COM
pletely prohibited Strict rules have
been imposed on hotels and restau-
fancy bread.
Il heard that some Americans, who
were in France, n few weeks ago
have been wondering why we haye not
kept the meatless days.
1.-THE suppression of meatiess days
resulted from the lack of cereals for
the cattle feeding, which involved the
killing Of cattle. and the killing of cat
tie was meant, on the other hand, to
bring about a reduction in the hu-
man consumption Of these same ce-
! reals. l may be allowed to add that,
OF late, my good friend Mr.. Hoover,
insisted that, as far as possible, we
ought to try to substitute the meat
consumption for the consumption o.
cereals.
'We have reduced our sugar con
sumption by 40 per cent; our rice con-
sumption by 81 per cent; our imports
OF dried vegetables have been reduc-
ed by 52 per cent; of oils and fats by
As per cent
The people who have imposed
such sacrifices on themselves are n
people who have kept fighting for al
most four years--a people who have
mobilized 100000 men Crom q popu-
lation which, excluding the invaded
territories, does not exceed $1,000
600 inhabitants, people whose wo-
men and children have taken the bur-
den of industrial and agricultural
work left by the men who joined the
army IA people whose army lost over
"a million men in killed, over a million
men in maimed-a people whose
army, nevertheless. is still holding
with an uncOnquerable steadfastness
over two-thirds of the Western front
within the last weeks. despite tho
restrictive measures l have stated
there have been i'm France agriculture
districts which had for days, to put
up with a complete, absolute depri-
vation of bread--which could not gC
ON without endangering the physica
and moral health of the nation.
IL am aware of what you have don.
in order to reduce your dOmeSti,
consumption and to increase youl
exports. But YOU must do more. Yor
must do il for il is II case of ncceS
sity. You must do it because it car