Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-06-05
Military Necessity Demands That
Each American Eat Only l12
Pounds Wheat Products
Weekly.
CORN AND OATS SUBSTITUTES.
Allies Must Have Wheat Enough to
Maintain Their War Bread
Till Next Harvest

the necessary proportion OF wheat to
maintain theil war bread from now
until the next harvest and this is a
military necessity, we must reduce our
monthly consumption to 2l.0O0,00O
bushels a month as against our nor
NAL consumption of about 42,000,OO0
bushels, or 50 per cent. of our normal
consumption. This is the situation as
set forth by the U. 5. Food Admins
tration at Washington. Reserving q
margin for distribution TO the army
and for special cases, leaves for gen.
eral consumption approximately Ia
pounds of wheat products weekly per
person. the Food Administrators
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 condi
lions 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 hu.
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:
I. Householders to use not to exceed
total of IA pounds per week Of
wheat products per person. This
means not more than Y pounds Of
Victory bread containing the required
percentage of substitutes and one-haif
pound of cooking -four, macaroni,
crackers, pastry. pies, cakes, wheat
breakfast cereals, all combined.
g 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
| -four. 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. $50. ~
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
Itweight of other cereals
q. We ask the bakers and grocers to
reduce the volume of Victory bread
sold, by delivery Of the three-qNartei
pound loaf where one pound was sold
before, and corresponding proportions
In other weights. We also ask bakers
not tc Increase the amount Of theil
wheat -four purchases beyond 70 pei
cent. Of the average monthly amour
purchased In the four months prior t
March |.
;. 5. Manufacturers using wheat prod
J ucTs for non-food purposes shout
cease such use entirely.
6. There is no limit upon the use Q
other cereals, fours, and meals, corr
barley, buckwheat, potato tour,
cetera.
Many thousand families throughor
the land are now using no wheat proc
ucts whatever, except q very Sna
amount for cooking purposes, and al
doing so In perfect health and satisfa
ton. There is nosreason why all
the American people who are able
cook In their own households cann'
subsist perfectly well with the use I
less wheat products than one and on
half pounds a week, and we special
ask the well-to-do households In Il
country to follow this additional pr
gramme in order that we may provi'
the necessary marginal supplies f
those parts of the community less alb
TO adapt themselves to so large pr
portion of substitutes.
In order that we shall be able
make the wheat exports that are a
solutely demanded of us to mainta
the civil population and soldiers of {
e allies and our own army, we propo
n to supplement the voluntary cooper
,e ton of the public by further limit
II ton of distribution, and We shall pla
a at once restrictions on distribute
- which VIII be adjusted from time
time TO secure as nearly equitable d
"a trlbution as possibles With the arriN
s. of harvest we should be able to rel
&c such restrictions. Until then we a
for the necessaryn patience, sacrit