Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-22
EAST FACES FOOD
CRISIS DURING THE
NEXT SIXTY DAYS
Situation Critical; Worst in
Country's History, Public
Is Informed

Washington, D. c., Feb. 22.-The
eastern part of the United States
faces food shortage likely to con-
tinue for the next sixty days.
In making this disclosure last
night Food Administrator Hoover
declared that the situation is the
most critical in the country's his
tory and that in many of the large
consuming areas reserve food stores
are at the point of exhaustion.
Cereal For Allies Short
Cereal exports to the Allies, Mr..
Hoover's statement says, will be 45,-
100000 bushels short by the end of
February, and meat and pork ship
ments also are far short of the
amounts promised.
4 large part of the corn crop is
about to spoil because it is not mov-
ing to terminals for drying. The per-
centage of soft corn in last years
crop, all of which must be dried If
it is to be saved, is the largest ever
known. Estimates place the amount
as high as a billion bushels.
The cost of grains for feeding live
stock has increased to such an eX-
tent by reason of transportation diff
ficulties, Mr.. Hoover says, that feed
ers are confronted with prospect of
serious losses. Dairying interests,
too, he declares are hard hit.
Potatoes, the Food Administrator
declares. are spelling in the pro-
ducers' hands, while consumers have
been supplied only from summer
garden crops and stores carried over.
There is in addition an enormous
increase in the cost of feeding live
stock on account of Generalization
in transportation conditions, which
have also worked to the disturbance
of price conditions to the point
where the law of supply and demand
has been practically suspended.
Transportation Blamed
Food Administrator Hoover declar-
ed that the United States had fallen
far behind its agreed food program
with the Allies, due solely to the
railway congestion since the early
part of December"
From sources close to Director
General of Railroads w. G. McAdoo
it was learned that the railroads are
in a position to move the food sup
plies promised to the Allies, pro-
Vided they are told where the sup
plies are located.
Mr.. Hoover declared that the
least amount of grain that must be
loaded for the next sixty days is s.
100000 bushels n day." and this. it
is understood. the railroads stand
ready to do.
From Mr.. Hoover's viewpoint, the
question is one of transportation,
Eand the transportation officials be-
lieve it one of production and get
ting the supplies to the carriers.
The food administrator declared
the simple fact is, the problem
goes far deeper than supplies to the
Allies. During the last three months
we have fallen far behind in move
ment of foodstuffs from the farms
to the consuming and storage CEN
ters," and he added that the next
sixty days will be the most critical
period in our food history"
Price conditions have been dis
turbed by the virtual suspension of
the law of supply and demand, he
said, and the safety of soft corn and
other perishables, especially pota-
toes, has been jeopardized.
Mr.. Hoover declared the economic
ramifications of the delay in rail
movement are almost countless, and
the only solution lies in the move
ment of foodstuffs to the exclusion
of much other commerce of the
country"