The Robesonian., 1918-06-03
WHEAT MUST
y" "' Be SAVED
Mood Intensified For Greatest
Possible Limitation in American
Consumption of Wheat and
Wheat Products.

State Food Administrator Henry A.
page Thursday night received the fol-
,or,;nc urgent telegram from United
States States Food Administrator Herbert
Hoover. with the request that 1t be
ldv niven the widest publicity possible:
e"Recent press dispatches widely cir-
cuIated through the country have Civ
eu The wholly false impression that
tbere is not longer need for vigorous
..,n..nsecvation .,..,e of wheat flour. The food
eoCd'nr,;n;stration eC'r; declares that every as
~o...' co., Of the wheat situation both pres
ppcS md prospective intensifies the
no ,ooa for the greatest possible limita-
.;c1 in the American consumption Of
.n,eat and wheat products. If pres
ma' W. 'rostrictions should be in the slight
CIV ent degree relaxed it would result in
Gov eorious want for the people Of Europe
Iefore the new crop can reach the
"Tte food ADMINISTRATORS estimate
= the nosition on the first of June
;nd;%ates a total available supply un-
II The new harvest, including the
ore n which will be available from
tbe farms in country and terminal ele-
''a1oIs and mill elevators, of about Sc
.,;I,.on bushels. Of this 80 million
h,sIels must be exported before new
wheat is available for export If we
are TO maintain the absolutely neces-
sarv shinments to our army and the
allias. That leaves about 26 million
bushels for domestic consumption for
the next two months.
"Nornoal American consumption is
something over 40 million bushels
nor1h. SO that the most liberal con-
sumption at home would be only one
thrd of normal.
"In addition to the wheat on the
farms and in elevators there is al
wavs an indeterminate further amount
in transit and in dealers hands and
this can never be reckoned in with
the flour available for exporting or
rse at home. As a matter of fact this
stock is not actually available since
these supplies must remain constantly
in flow; they remain a permanent
stock. the removal of which would Ia
ter cause a period of acute shortage
in distribution before new wheat
would be available.
There is further an inclination to
include new crop prospects with pres
en- conditions which has led to con-
fusion. The harvest will not be gen
erallv available in flour until middle
AUGUST or early September, although
in she extreme South it will be some
what earlier.
"At a meeting of the Federal food
administrators in Washington yester-
dav representing all 48 States it was
the unanimous view that, even if the
harvest does prove abundant, it will
be the first duty of the American peo-
pie to place every grain they can save
into storage as against possible bad
years ahead. In consequence there
should be no anticipation of unlimited
wheat bread until the war is over.
"Some Of the more incOnvenient re
strictions can no doubt be modified
with the arrival of large harvest, but
if we are honest with ourselves we
will maintain restrictions requiring
the use of some substitute both do
mestic and commercial; we will con.
tinue the requirement of high milling
extraction and the elimination of the
non-essential use of and waste ir
flour and bread.
ut is worth remembering that the
famine in Egypt 5000 years ago was
saved by little governmental fore
sight and it does not require any il
Eliminating dream to anticipate that 81
long as the war lasts with it's in
creasing drafts for soldiers and mum
tlon workers, the world will steadil,
produce less food. If we are wise /;
great harvest will mean the willing
building of great national reserves.