New-York tribune., 1918-02-22
Food Crisis In
Next 60Days,
Says Hoover
Demands Drastic EN-
bargoes at Once to
Clear Railroads
Reserve Centres
Nearl y Depleted
Aid to Allies Also Menaced.
Administrator Now
Declares
lSlaT C'oyvesDoudence1

mediate and drastic embargocs to clear
the rails for the movement of food to
interior terminals and the seaboard
can now save the food situation, both
with regard to feeding our Allies and
the people of our Eastern cities, Food
Administrator Hoover declared to-
night
"The next sixty days will be the most
critical period in our food history"
Vr. Hoover stated. Two inevitable
consequences of continued delay in
moving food from the producing areas
TO interior markets and the scaboard
terminals arc predicted by the Food
Administrator:
l. Exhaustion of food reserves in
the large consuming centres. with 70.
sulting local food famines.
Z. Gripping of Allied arms through
the failure of the United States to
make good its food promises to The
Allies. N
The railroad administration is NOT
solely to blame for the existing trans
portatlon chaos, officials of the food
ADMINISTRATION point out. During Janu-
airy nsuperable difficulties we're en-
countered IN moving all classes Of
freight. However,, during the last three
weeks the railroad administrator. e is
alleged, has failed to appraise food
transport needs in their full serious
ness, with the result that the neces
sary drastic freight and PASSENGER en-
parSo policies advocated by the food
administration have been rejected
MIR. Hoovers Statement
MIR. Hoovcr's statement follows:
IN response to many inquiries,
beg to say it is true that since In,
first of ~lAecember, we have fallen
tar behind our agreed food pro-
grammc with the Allies. By the end
OF February we will be short 40
o0o,0 bushels in cereal products.
which we undertook as our share Of
their supplies We will also be
short Of the amount Of meas and
pork products that we were to de-
liver.
This deficiency is due solely to
thc railway congestion since that
date. The railway directorate since
coming into control on January !.
mas made effort to find remedy, but
during the month of January the
weather was insuperablc and. al
though progress has been made since
the 9th OF February, the situation is
Inc accumulation Of three months
delays.
"1'hc next sixty days will be the
most critical period in our food his
tory. The simple fact is that the
problem goes lar deeper than sun
Plies to the Allies. During the last
three months we have far fallen be-
hlnd IN movement Of foodstuffs from
the farms to the consuming and
storage centres. Up to the first of
February less than so per cent of
the normal ratio of corn has been
moved. less than 80 per cent Of the
oats and less than so per cent of
the potatoes from November 1 to
January |. We were short in the
usual movement Of grains and grain
products into the terminals alone, by
over 10000 carloads 100000
700 bushels and this further aggre-
gated by similar shortage outside tho
terminals.
Corn Supply Menaced
Furthermore, this year we have
the largest percentage of soft corn
IN many years, and though we have
a record crop of corn, a consider
able portion Of the soft corn will
be lost by spelling unless it can be
moved in the next sixty days to the
drying terminals. The least amount
OF grain that must be loaded for the
next sixty days is 100000 bushels
per day-and we have not yet at
tanned that. Less than this will solve
neither the Allied nor our domestic
situation.
"Wc have about 10000 carloads
of potatoes on November /, which
should have been moved from the
principal producing centres. and up
to the first of February we had
moved about 2S,O00 carloads. while
we should have moved over $4,000
IN this period. The result is that
potatoes are piled up, spelling in
the producers hands, and the con-
sumlng centres have only been sup
piled by virtue of the summer gar
dens and other stores carried over
from last year. There is a greu.
deal of livestock which has been
ready for the market for some time.
but is still held in the farmers
hands through inability to secure
transportation These cattle are cat
ing their heads off without increas-
ing their meat value and are only
adding to the costs Of the farmer
and consuming the grain
Effect Of Delayed Movement
"The effect of this delayed move
ment has been many fold:
'First-To jeopardizc the safety
of a great deal Of the soft corn
and perlshabes such as potatoes.
Second The structure in flow
of distribution has entirely dis
turbed the price conditions in the
country by practically suspendine
the law of supply and demand. The
margins between the farmer and
the consumer in many commodities
were never wider than they are to-
day, because the consuming trades
are undersupplied and the farmers
compete for transportation Prices
of the coarse grains have reached
unheard of levels, while the lin
tied transportation has diminished
the farmers returns
''Third The cost of grains for
feeding livestock has so increased
to the feeders of finished cattle