The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-01-31
Success in War Imperiled if
American Homes Do Not
Come to Rescue.
HUN PROPAGANDA AT WORK
Stories Alleging PIentitude of Food
in Allied Countries Jeopardize
Cause of AIIies-Correspon-
dent Tells Of Conditions
in France.

Washington. - Irresponsible state
ments from unknown sources. purport-
ing to show that there is no food short
age In France and other allied Euro
rean countries, are creating wrong
impression in the public mind and Sc
riouSly hnmpering the governments
food conservation program, declares
the United States food administration.
The administration can only repeat
what 1t has said all along on the basis
OF official government statistics:
There is Il serious food shortage in
France, and in other allied European
shortage which, If not made
up by conservation in American homes
Will impcril allied success In the war.
Any statement, innocent or mali
cious, which alleges Il plentitude of
food over there is German propaganda,
pure and simple.
Get Wrong Impression.
Persons returning from Paris have
unintcntionnlly ieopnrdizcd the cause
Of the allies by giving American news
papers their flash impressions of food
conditions in France. Explaining how
this happens, Fred b. Pltney, Ameri
can correspondent, recently returned
from France, said:
~ have kept house in Paris during
the war and I can speak from expert
cncc. One learns great deal when
keeping house Of which one gets no
inkling when living in q hotel and eat
Ing In restaurants. One can always go
to restaurant and get nAal
II have heard many visiting Ameri
cans, who lived in France in that way,
pooh-pooh the idea that there Sas n.
food shortage in the country. If*thosc
same persons had had to search the
market before they had their meals.
they would have gained very differ
cnt idea of the food Situnton
eve paid last winter in Paris II
cents apiece for eggs and 50 Il pound
for butter and there was frequently
neither butter, nor eggs nor milk to
be had. Private families were allow
ed to buy one-eighth Of pound of
flour Mt time. The grocers could not
sell flour, only the bakers"
The Meat Situation.
Soothing mt the idea that there is a
shortage in France, one article re-
Gently published in the United States
declared that certain Paris meat
market advertised "beef In mode"
and other real meat items ms "meat-
less day specials"
This, according to Pitney, may eas.
lily have occurred without mt all indi-
eating that there was no meat shortage
in France. With regard to the meat
situation Pitney said:
'The French government is very bu-
reaucratic, but the French people do
not like to be Overgoverned They ob.
ject seriously to anything that savors
Of meddling In n mans private affairs.
Saying how much or what man
shall eat Is getting pretty close to pri-
vate affairs and therefore the French
government knowing intimately the
people 1t has to deal with, Is slow
SHOWN coming to such measures
even In face Of the only too evident
food shortage in the country.
$50 fnr, meat has withstood all cf.
forts to control its consumption--th there
has been no attempt to control its
price, and yet 1t Is vitality necessary to
control the consumption of meat in
France or to increase the supply"
Herds Are Disappearing.
With regard to the published state
ment in this country that Frances
herds are sleek, fat and plentiful, Pit
ney said:
Frances herds are disappearing
rapidly. They are today far below the