The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-08-28
SMOOT COMMENDS
FOOD Administration
UTAH SENATOR HAS BEEN 4
CLOSE STUDENT OF FOOD REG
ULATIoNs AND PROBLEMS.
Issues Comprehensive Statement
Touching on the Various Angles
of the Food Question.


year kept in close touch with the
Food Administration, especially in the
lines OF its activities which affected
sugar beets or other phases OF the
western agricultural production, and
whose cooperation has been of great
value in dealing with western food
questions, recently made the follow
ing comprehensive statement:
The Food Administration is an
emergency organization that has liv-
ed up to its war-obligations to the
fullest extent. Before il lay the
tremendous task of so managing the
Nations food supply that We at home
here would have enough, while we
fed our armed forces and the Allies.
How well IL has accomplished that
task is proved by the fact that our
cause is going on to ultimate triumph
In Europe a triumph that would have
been impossible without the aid ex-
tended from these shores by ship
ment of food.
Although there has been some critic
ism OF the Food Administration in the
Senate, there has been no word OF
criticism concerning the manner in
which it has furnished food to the
Allies, which was our country's great
est war obligation. No one can doubt
that it has succeeded. Had our peo-
pie consumed wheat as they were &C
customed to In normal times there
would have been only from 20,000,000
to 25.000,0OO bushels for export as the
surplus OF the 1917 crop. Instead, we
have already sent nearly 150,000.000
bushels, and before the 1918 crop is
available II is hoped that this figure
will stretch to 17O,000,000. This ex-
cess has been saved by the people OF
the country, as a result of the food
conservation campaign, and it has
been the absolute salvation OF the
Allies.
Before the war the United States
had almost ceased to be a food-ex
porting nation, while the nations OF
Europe imported heavily. This coun-
try then supplied about 10 per cent Of
their food deficit. In 1917 1t supplied
about so per cent, although the food
reserves OF our nation had been
drained by the demands of other war
years and the crop was slightly de-
ficient. From the 1918 crop, unless
shipping facilities increase more rap
idly than the public announcement OF
today would indicate, the United
States may be called upon to supply
more nearly 100 per cent of the Allied
food deficit.
This may have TO be done at a time
when millions OF our young men have
been taken from the farms for the
Army and war-industries. 1t is likely
that we shall be this year at the peak
OF agricultural production and that
next year will see fall, because OF
lack of labor at home. In that case
we shall be doubly in need OF such
management OF our food resources as
the Food Administration has proved
it can give US. Measured In terms OF
nutritive or DEMONSTRATING value, the
1917 crop was 7 Per cent below nor
NAL. Had this decrease amounted to
Is or 20 per cent there could be no
question that the Allied countries
would have been lost. We escaped
by that narrow margin. In 1919 we
must escape again-and by wider
margin.
Expectation of all meat for the
calendar year 1917 totaled 1,694,242,-
900 pounds. The per capita consump.
ton in this country for 1917 was
1898 pounds, as compared with 1878
pounds for 1915. In short, the differ
ence of pounds per person. due
largely to the food-conservation pro-
paganda, aggregated almost one-half,
our total expectations to the Allied
countries.
There is no doubt that. no matter
how abundant the 1918 crop may be,
we should build up a reserve, both
here and on the other side OF the
Atlantic, against possible lean years
TO come. Recently We have been lay
ing by a small meat reserve abroad.
The effect upon the morale Of the
French and British people that comes
from knowledge that the United
States is building up even small
stock as surplus is incidentally
good. They accept this policy as as
surance that we shall see to it that
they have enough to sustain life in
definitely and we shall not fail them.
In the Al days after the United
States entered the war the average
rise in food prices was more than 20
per cent. This was between April 6
and May II, 1917. Upon this last
date Mr.. Hoover was appointed Food
Administrator, although without pow
ers OF law, and was instructed by the
President to obtain such relief as was
possible through voluntary co-opera-
ton Of the people. In August the
Food Control Act was passed and
staple commodities came under reg
nlation.
The rise In prices indicates what
spectators and profteers would have
done had they not been checked. The
date Of Mr.. Hoover's appointment