The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-23
M'ADOO-HOOVER
CLASH ON CAUSE
4 OF FOOD CRISIS
M'AdOO Gives Assurance Rail-
roads Can Handle Situation.
Tells Hoover No Danger of
Famine From r. r.. Viewpoint.
MERELY PASSING The BUCK
Hoover Speeds Passage of Com
puIsOry RatiOning for U. S.
WheatIesS and Meatless Weeks
Ahead, Assert Officials.
M'AdOO Gives Assurance Rail
roads Can Handle Situation.
MERELY PASSING THE BUCK
Hoover Speeds Passage of Com
puIsory RatiOning for U. S.
BY ROBERT ]. BENDER.

DL INO1oILINL d IoA%AN1NANAN'
Washington, Feb. 23--The food
crisis facing the allies has developed
a sharp dispute between the railroad
and food administrations.
Herbert Hoover, having announced
that the next sixty days will be critical
ones and everything depends on the
ability of the railroads to move 1000,
Director General McAdoo today re-
piled that if Hoover will tell where
the food is McAdoo will send his rail-
road after it.
McAdoo added a long statement to
show he is working hard and moving
much food.
Whereupon the food administration
said that McAdoo, obviously appre-
ciatine the danger, apparently can be
counted on to do everything poSslpIe
to alleviate it.
Much Activity Behind the Lines.
Meantime. behind these frontal
rnoyenl, nts. there is much fast Skin
tnishing between TIM reserve forces
Of the two administrations The 1lrst
assistants, rear guard and others nave
q entered into a lively discussion pro ana
con with the tendencies or poth sloes
being to pass the buck
so far as transportation is con-
cerned,'' says McAdoo's reply to Hoov-
err there is no danger CT food snort
age again. in the eastern part ol the
country"
He further adds to Hoover as sole
purchaser of supplies in. this country
for the allied governments, that II
you will notify me from time to time
of the location of specific supplies and
the port or ports to which you wish
to have such supplies transported, L
will guarantee the necessary transpor-
tation, subject alone to blizzard and
floods
Hoover, being out of the city when
McAdoos missive arrived, food admin
istratiUn officials pondered over it and
then countered with:
"McAdoo's statement is very reas-
surfing since it indicates further cars
will be furnished western terminals
and the shortage from these terminals
to eastern territory now will be over
come. AS the railroad directorates
are evidently alive to the situation
they will no doubt take all necessary
steps"
Complete Rationing Bill.
While the verbal swords of these of
ficials clanked merrily on, the house
agriculture committee today complet-
ed its report on the compulsory meat
less and wheatless days bill and de-
clared that as the allied food situation
sis becoming seriously critical" Hoov-
err must have broader powers at once.
At the food administration today it
was said the allied food problem is de-
veloping now for an international
pantry with Hoover as the steward,
to equitably portion it's limited con-
tents. Hoover only awaits passage
of the compulsory rationing measures
10 start his gigantic task.
WheatleSs and meatlesS weeks are
ahead, officials here believe, until the
present chaos is relieved.
Land of Plenty to Land of Want.
Hoover's job just now is to level
down the jumbled food reserves glut-
ting the farms of the middle west and
spread potatoes. wheat and corn and
other necesSaries evenly over the con-
gested east. THE land of plenty must
feed the land of want" food officials
say. and the food resources of the ma
ton mus. be massed into one uniVer-
sal pile and then rushed thru what
ever shortage is imminent. Flexible
and rapid transportation and power to
shunt food instantly at the cry of dis
tress arc the essentials Hoover de-
mands. Director General McAdoo has
to make this possible. The shipping
board stands ready to rush food re-
serve to the short rationed allies
At home the problem of feeding
large eastern cities is one of the most
perplexirg facing Hoover. Centers
such as New York are totally at the
mercy of the railroads. Just now ces-
sation of food shipments into New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and such
centers would result in acute suffer
ing.
Peace Time Methods Fail.
Slowly America is realizing that its
peace time method of food distribu-
ton has collapsed. There is no des.
perate food shortage, it is pointed out
and If consumption is held to a mini.
mum and the undue tax on transpor.
tation facilities avoided, the crisis OF
the next sixty days will be passed
fa1r