Douglas Island news., 1918-12-13
INVENTORY OF
 WORLDS FOOD
Herbert Hoover Analyses the Food Resources of the Country in
 Recent Address

Famine is the mother Of an- archy." declared Herbert Hoover tn closing remarkable address to the special conference Of Federal Food Administrators called to Washing ton recently Prom the inability Of governments to secure food for their people grows revolution and chaos. From an ability to supply their peo- pie grows the stability Of govern mcnt and the defeat Of anarchy" said the speaker "Did we put it on no higher plane than our interests in the protection of our institutions, we must bestir ourselves in the solu- tion Of the problem"
 Mir. Hoover was making what many of his hearers believed 10 Doe his farewell address to the food ad- ministrators. He is now in Europe comforting with others over the en- tire world food situation. His sum ming up of the food situation indi- cates SO plainly that for the next year, at least. some comprehensive regulation of the worlds stock Of foods will be necessary that it may be found advisable to continue thc Food Administration i'm some capac- Icy for that length of time. Hoover himself, does not favor government control of food any longer than is absolutely necessary and he inti- mates that by next harvest time private initiative may again handle the problem Of supply and demand. "It is my belief" says he. "that
 the tendency Of an such legislation except in war is Co an over degree 10 strike at the roots of individual inc iuatiye. We have secured its exc cution during the war as to the will ing cooperation of 95rs of the trades of the country. but under peace conditions it would degcnratc into an harassing blue law"
 In his inventory Of the worlds food supply, Hoover finds that Of wheat and rye, dairy feeds other than the high protcins, beans, peas and rice. there are sufficient sup plies with economy i'm consumption; of beef there is sufficient to load all refrigerating ships to capacity; of sugar. sufficient supplies for our normal consumption if other ma tions retain their present short ra- tions but shortage for us if they increase their rations; of coffee. there is surplus; but of high pro- tein dairy feeds there is a shortage of about 3,OOO.OOO tons, and of pork and dairy products and vegetable oils a shortage of about 3,O00,OOO.- OOO pounds. or the worlds total 10 produce tho above results it is estimated that North America will furnish something over 60 per cent and that the United States. nclud- ing the West Indies. will be in a position to furnish a total of about 2O.OOO.OOO tons of food of an kinds fir export. compared with our pre- war exports of about G.OOOOOO tons or course these calculations are based upon assumptions as 10 transportation. production and con sumption. which may be subject to great disturbance and distortion during the reconstruction period Mir. Hoover furnished one great shock Co his audience when he said that "therc are 4O.OOO,OOO people i'm North Russia Co whom fear but little access with food can be ob- tained this winter Their transpor- thtion is dcmoralized in complete anarchy and shortly many of their ports will be frozen even if internal transport could be realized. ex- pect the most dreadful results Of starvation beyond all human power to allay." A large part Of the blame for this condition must be laid at the door Of the Russian Bolshcviki. who promised the Russian people peace and bread and has fed them loco-weed instead.