Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-03
Temporary Embargo.


sideration.
Temporary Embargo.
A temporary embargo on corn imports
was declared last night by the War
Trade Board to increase the movement
Of wheat from South America to this
country. This will help some. but the
shipping is not available to carry any
considerable part of the South American
crop.
There has been no little grumbling and
growing over the food administration
requirement that with each pound OF
wheat -four there must be purchased an
equal weight of other cereals A proba-
bility of the near future is that with
each pound of wheat -four the purchase
OF two pounds of other cereals VII! pe
required There may be less grumonne
rule is necessary If there is to be any
wheat -four at all later on.
Avoided Alarming People.
Prospect of wheatless months, in
stead of wheatless days, is only one OF
a number of unpleasant food facts
which the American people are called
ucsiticn ia some quarters 70 nainimtze
And eoyef un 4lsaae facfS. They didn't
xsn g slsrn ths pes1ls e he 8: e
people were not Alarmed. because they
did ii6t know Enn did NOT understand
the seriousness Of the situation. the
situation Ii much more serious to-day
than 4: othsrwiss miEht nays been,
without wheat bread lacks a good deal
of being the most menacing phase OF
the situation. The entire food program
for the coming year: both for Ameriea
now has come when farmers must be
persuaded to plant larger crops. Pri-
marily that is q task for the Depart
ment Of Agriculture, but the food ad-
ministration and all other branches Of
the government and all citizens as well
are vita1ly interested in it.
Perishable Products Rotting.
Last. spring farmers were urged to
grow bumper crops. and they did it.
By responding to this appeal to their
patriotism many farmers have been
ruined, and many thousands of others
have suffered heavy financial losses.
Breakdown Of railroad transportation
has made it impossible to get their
bumper crops to market. Perishable
products left on their hands are rot 3
ting. The chances Of saving the much
needed foodstuffs and thereby saving
the farmers from still further loss grow
less now with each passing day. And
in the face of this discouraging sftua-
tion, farmers must be persuaded again
to increase their planting. If they do
not, the coming year will see such a
shortage of foodstuffs as America
never knew nor dreamed to be pos
sible.
Needs of the United States fighting
forces and the allies will call for larger
overseas shipment Of wheat from the
1913 crop than was shipped from the
crop of 1917. When the 1917 crop was
harvested there was a surplus of wheat
left over from the year before. There will
be no surplus from 1917 when this years
crop is cut.
There was an increase of about 1000, 900
acres in last falls planting of winter
wheat over the planting of the fall before
Last year about l., 1000, 900 acres of the
winter wheat was frozen and killed. 1t
is feared the winter kill this year will be
even larger, for the cold weather has been
much more severe and more prolonged.
The prospects today are that next sum-
mer's harvest of winter wheat will be no
larger than, and perhaps not large as,
the harvest of last summer.
Only Hope for Increase.
The only hope, then. for an increased
wheat yield is for a larger spring planting
in Minnesota and the Dakotas. the prin-
Is favorable one this hope may be real
ICED. If it is wet and late there may be
less spring wheat planted than was
planted a year ago. At best, therefore.
the prospect for wheat is gamble on the
weather, and spring weather in Minnesota
and the Dakotas Is mighty uncertain
Failure to increase the wheat yield
will throw on corn the chief burden J
Of feeding America and her allies. Last
wear the Americapffarmers grew more
than 3,000,000,000 bushels of corn. a
crop greater by nearly 600.000.00o
fore. The story of that three billion |
bushel corn crop is the story of a world
food tragedy. |
Still Lies Rotting.
Here is a pftiful picture OF it: Piled |
I'D between the Allegheny mountains |
and the foothills of the Rockies was |
the greatest store of foodstuffs the |
world ever has known. And it lies |
there still. and is rotting. 1t is as il !
the mountain chains. to the east and to |
the west, each was a great dam hold |
InE back the precious flood. while on /
either side lay a land OF drought and i
famine.
The harvest was so great that it over
lowed all available storage houses. Ele-
,ators and farm cribs were filled, and !
millions of bushels OF the corn were
lusked and piled up out of doors. So
ar there is nothing unusual. except in !.
he amount of the excess of corn over |
,torage capacity. Farmers in the prairie
;tates always crib part Of their corn
,rop out Of doors. No harm comes from
he practice. so long as they are able to
ret it under shelter before 1t gets too
vet and before warm weather arrives.
VIII Complete Its Ruin.
This year they were not able to get '