New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1918-03-02
A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT
ABOUT FOOD.

this critical time, when it is the
duty Of every American to sup.
1Ort the Government in winning
The war, venture most respect.
fully to lay before you certain
facts with relation to the food
supply of our people and our AL.
lies whose Importance would ap.
pear to justify my doing SO. TIE
study Of conservation has required
me to become familiar with agri-
cultural problems, and l have
been in close touch with organ
lied farmers. In order to guard
against making any statement
which might be mistaken, either
In letter or in spirit. the sun
stance Of this open communica-
ton has been submitted to the
leaders and representatives of
farm organizations numbering
many hundred thousand members,
and has received their assent.
The war has now entered a
stage in which the steadfastness
of civil populations ranks in i'm
portance with the fighting spirit
of armies. abundant supplies Of
food become a factor of the first
Importance in maintaining the
morale of people under heavy
stress.
Great Britain, as we know, still
relies on the United States and
Canada for IS per cent of it's es-
sential food stuffs. The Canad-
ians are most seriously handi-
capped in the effort to increase
production by the lack of man
power because they have already
sent to Europe so large a proper
ton Of their men of military age.
1t is well known that New Zea-
land. Australian, and Indian
wheat is inaccessible for lack Of
ships. The responsibility, there
fore, rests mainly upon the peo.
pie of the United States. Without
the food which we alone can sup
ply not only England. but France
and Italy, must lose their power
to carry on the war.
It is not famine we are facing
in the United States, as some
have sought to show. but a food
shortage so serious that it threat |
ems to become decisive. As a man
of great authority among Ameri-
can farmers has said: ssThis war;
cannot be won by the forces Of |
civilization unless the farmers OF
the United States can substantial
ly increase their production Of
foodstuffs to feed our Allies and
the people of our own country"
But we are faced with the GER
tainty of reduction instead Of
an increase unless present cond;-
tions are promptly and radically
changed.
The farmers If the United
States are anxious to do heir full
duty in growing more food. Their
leaders have been active in this
batter for months past. But
they are hampered by conditions
which they themselves cannot con-
troi. Farmers generally are now
facing the most unfavorable con-
dition Of farm labor they have
over known. in part because more
than one-qnarter Of the men who
have been taken for the National
Army are farmers. They are
short Of seed agricultural sup
rlies, and credit, and they declare
hat a crop smaller than last year 3
& certain unless these conditions
are changed for the better. Il
Shortage in production at the
.oming harvest cannot be. met
rom any surplus held in reserve.
Only three crops Of our six prime
pal grains have ever been as large
" the amount by which our re- !
Ierve Of these grains was reduced
,etween March, 1916, and March,
I917. Since then our reserve has
,een still further diminished. and
has been said that we havel I
low reached the bottom Of the /
Iranary. ,
Business confidence plays as /
arge q part in the production OF
God as it does in the production I
t any other commodity. Nothing /.
] so fatal to production as uncer-
Ainty. Il i . matter Of national
ignifcance that the great major