Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1918-10-24
To USE FOOD CARDS
As 4 LAST RESORT
VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION
WILL Do FOLLOWED AZ LONG
AZ POSSIBLE. avs OFFICIAL.
HOOVER IS AGAINST FORCE
Only When Other Methods Fall Viii
Tickets % Used In This
Country.
The question freouentiy has bee

The question frequently has beer
aaked Of the Missouri division OF tn,
I'D Administration why sugar card.
md bread cards have never been used
In this country. In a talk to the coun
ty food administrators Of Missouri In
Columbia recently. J. W. Hallowell
an official Of the United States Food
Administration. declared that when
Herbert Hoover ~ appointed food
administrator for this country he set
his heart on having a voluntary sys.
tenn Of food conservation. He believed
In the American people. and was con.
ndent they would do what was neces.
sary In war times without having the
sbig stick" used.
"Mr. Hoover did not want to use
force" said Mr.. Hallowell. He knew
conditions in Germany. where a food
dictator and not q food administrator
had been appointed. One worked
through coercion; the other through
cooperation. An autocratic system of
bread cards and sugar cards, Mr..
Hoover believed. would take fror, the
American people . splendid opportu-
nifty to build up their character, and
opportunity Of knowing what should be
done at home. in view Of the situation
abroad, to help win the war. And
Mr. Hoover believed the people of
this country deserved to have the op.
portunity to try a system Of voluntary
conservation"
A system Of card %rationing. Mr.. Hal
lowell declared, would cost $50. O0O, 900
. year and would require the services
OF 100.0 900 persons. Instead Of this
$4,000. 900. which would have been
required for a card system. the volun.
tary system has cost $4,000 O0.'
Mr.. Hoover knew. too. that the card
rationing system was not successful in
Germany, Mr.. Hallowell said. The rich
get all the food they want, while the
poor can obtain only what their cards
allow them. The large hotels in Ber-
lin and other German cities are sell
Ing choice articles Of food at prices
which only the w%ealthiest can pay.
Hams ear be obtained at $40 apiece
and butter for 500 a pound. The poor
are becoming ~resentful at this state
Of affairs and It is something Germany
will have to reckon with after the war.
The voluntary system will be fol.
lowed in this country as long as pos.
sible." said Mr.. Hallowell. Where 1t
fails another system will be tried.
But until we see that the voluntary
system Is going to fail. that conserva.
ton will have to be forced by a card
system. such d system will not be
used.
1.-The way In which the Allies we're
fed from our last years wheat crop
Is one Of the most remarkable things
the American people have accom-.
through voluntary conserva-
ton. Ours last years crop was ap-
$50 million bushels. This
would have allowed a normal export of
only 20 million bushels, but due to the
Iplendid spirit Of cooperation on the
part Of the American people and the
rigid conservation OF wheat, 40 mil.
lion bushels Of that crop already have
been sent and 10 or ~ million more J
will be shipped across. The Food Ad.
is now taking go per cent
II the wheat -four output Of the mills
and sending 1t in jute sacks direct to
he Allies.
This could never have been accom-.
without the cooperation OF the
American people. especially the won
~, Mr.. Hallowell declared.