The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-07-19
European Shortage Places Prob.
lem Before American Govern.
ment-Farsighted Policy
Adopted.
NEED 100000 BU. WHEAT.
Food Administrator Asks Aid Of
Every American In Gigantic
Task Of Feeding Millions.

II is the food problem over there
that makes a food problem over here.
II we wished to be supremely selfish
and supremely shortsighted-we could
60 on eating as much as we like and
whatever we like, without much diff
Guilty or interruption-at least, until
the Germans camel
But we are not doing things In that
selfish and suicidal way. We are try.
ing to make great common pool Of
all of our food, and all Of the food Of
the allies, and all Of the food we can
get from South American and other
neutrals, and dividing 1t up fairly
among America, England, France, Bel
GUM and Italy.
This does not mean that all of the
people in the great pool are going to
have the same ration, but means that
we are trying to arrange to have
enough for everybody, 80 that the sol
diers-our soldiers and their soldiers
will be well fed, as they have to be
to fight hard and continuously, and
that the munitions workers and the
workers in all the other necessary In
dustries, and the men and women at
home will all have enough to keep
alive and we'll. \ 1t is absolutely neces-
sary to do this If the war Is to be won,
and we are going to do II, but 1t means
planning, working, arranging, cooper.
ating, being careful, not wasting, saw.
ing.
And 1t means that each and every
one Of US has got to help.
Now, we have enough and more than
enough food for ourselves, and the
Government 10 going to see to II that
we keep here at home a sufficient sup.
ply Of every essential kind of food to
support our people. But over there
they simply have not enough. Lord
Rhondda, the English food controller,
recently cabled the American food ad.
mInIstrator, that unless we can send
the allies before the next uropean
harvest 75,ooo,o 900 bushels Of wheat In
addition to what had been sent up to
January 1 Of thIs year he could NOT
assure the people Of the allies that
they would have a sufficient supply OF
food to carry on the war.
He did not say anything in this cable
about the other food necessary, but
he has told of these needs in other
cables-and by his actions In England,
For example, his latest regulation
compels a reduction Of meat eating In
the United Kingdom to maximum OF
one pound per week per person. this
pound including the bone and other
waste parts In the meat as bought In
the shop.
The allies must have more wheat
more meat, more fats, more dairy prod
ucts, more sugar. Their harvests were
very short-France had less than hall
her normal crop of wheat-and the
available shipping is small in amount
and constantly being lessened by sub
marines, so that 1t is now practically
impossible to use any ships for the long
voyage necessary to bring food from
Australia and other remote markets
The food must come chiefly from
America. In specific figures 1t is nee
essary for us to send to the allies
100000 tons Of foodstuffs a month
This is great responsibility and
great problem. The food must bs
found, and also the ships to carry 1t
1t is being done, but can only continue
to be done by the help and full co
operation Of all of us over our broad
land. We must produce and save
more.
To supply the wheat necessary until
the next harvest, we must reduce oui
consumption by from one-fourth to
one-third we must cut down our usual
average consumption Of meats and
fats by from 10 to Is per cent. and
dairy products by about 10 per cent.
Over there they are tightening theiI
belts and doing everything they can,
They are eating war bread; they are
cutting down their sugar In England
to two pounds per person per month,
and In France and Italy to one pound
how much are you eatingf-and they
are using ration cards for most of the
staples. We must meet sacrifice with
sacrifice. If we don't, we are helping
to lose the war instead of helping to
win 1t.