Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-07-01
PRESS DISPATCHES
GIVE FALSE IMPRESSION
Food Administrator, Herbert Hoover,
Gives Out Statement OF The
Wheat Situation

The following, said to be the actual
wheat situation, is given out by Her
bert Hoover, Federal Food Admins
TRAITOR:
Recent press dispatches widely
circulated through the country have
given the wholly false impression that
there is no longer need for rigorous
conservation of wheat and -four. The
Food Administration declares that
every aspect of the wheat situation,
both present and prospective. intensi-
fies the need for the greatest possible
limitation in the American consump-
ton of wheat and wheat products. If
present restrictions should be in the
slightest degree relaxed it would re-
suit in serious want for the people of
Europe before the new crop can reach
the market.
The Food Administration estimate
of the position on the first of June in
dictates total available supply I'M
til the new harvest, including the grain
which will be available from the
farms in country and terminal eleva-
tors and mill elevators of about &c.
100000 bushels. OF this 30,000,000
wheat is available for export, if we
are to maintain the absolutely neces-
sary shipments to our army and the
allies. That leaves about 26,000,000
bushels for domestic consumption for
the next two months.
Normal American consumption is
something over 100000 bushels a
month so that the most liberal con-
sumption at home would be only one
third of normal.
I'm addition to the wheat on the
farms and in elevators there is always
an indeterminate further amount in
transit and in dealers hands and this
can never be reckoned in with the flour
available since these supplies must
remain constantly in flow; they re-
main a permanent stock the removal
of which would later cause a period
of acute shortage i'm distribution be-
fore new wheat would be available.
There is further an inclination to
include new crop prospects with pres
ent conditions which has led to con-
fusion. The harvest will not be gen.
orally available in -four until middle
August or early September, although
in the extreme South it will be some
what earlier.
AT a meeting of the Federal Food
Administrators in Washington recent
ly, representing all forty-eight States,
ii was the unanimous view that even
if the harvest does prove abundant it
will be the first duty of the Ameri
can people to place every grain they
can save into storage as against pos
sible bad years ahead. In consequence
there should be no anticipation of I'M
limited wheat bread until the war is
over.
"Some of the most inconvenient re-
strictions can no doubt be modified
with the arrival of a large harvest,
but if we are honest with ourselves we
will maintain restrictions requiring
the use of some substitutes both
domestic and commercial; we will con-
tinue the requirement of high milling
extraction and the elimination of the
non-essential use of and waste in -four
and bread.
'It is worth remembering that the
famine in Egypt eight thousand years
ago was saved by a little governmental
foresight and it does not require any
Illuminating dream to anticipate that
so long as the war lasts with its in
creasing drafts for soldiers and mu-
milton workers the world will steadily
produce less food. If we are wise a
great harvest will mean the willing
building up of great national
reserves"