The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-06-06


: fraught with a peculiar significance
Just ahead of the German drive ON tn,
west front came the U. s. Food AID
ninistration's warning on March "a
! that wheat stocks of the nation are
low. 1t appealed to every citizen tc
cut his consumption of wheat -four by
| one-half and to limit himself to not
more than six pounds of -four every
80 days.
Public eating places and clubs were
| put under more stringent regulations
than ever before. Retailers were re-
| quested to cut down the volume of
their sales of wheat -four. Bakers were
told to reduce the size of Victory
| Bread loaves. Manufacturers using
wheat products for non-food purposes
were ordered to cease the practice.
In all, the Food Administration ask.
| ed the American people to limit their
eating Of wheat products from now
| until harvest to maximum of 21,000,-
900 bushels per month.
This appeal came somewhat as a
shock, and with it realization of the
| grim developments of the war. 1t was
known that we had fulfilled our orig
| inal promise to the Allies, having eX-
| ported by the end of March 95,000,000
bushels of wheat To extract so large
a quantity from the nations 1917 crop,
was an almost phenomenal undertake
ing, made possible only by the general
cooperation of the American public.
1t was thought by officials that the full
fillment of this obligation would re-
lieve American citizens from further
stringent conservation practices; as
the amount exported was calculated to
| be sufficient to bridge the Allies over
to the movement of the South Ameri-
can crop,
Change In Allies Shipping Plans.
The Allies had depended on secur-
ing great supplies from South Ameri-
ca. They had purchased enormous
quantities of wheat in Argentina where
there is an available, exportable sur
plus of 133,000,000 bushels. If they
could get that wheat across the water
their bread problem would be solved
But there are not enough ships to go
around Just now. Every available yes
sci is pressed into service, carrying
men, munitions, food and war sup
plies. The service of a ship is limited
by the distance 1t traverses and it will
require more than twice the ship ton
mage to move wheat from the Argen-
| tina than from our Atlantic ports.
If North America could not furnish
the wheat the Allies cause would be
handicapped to the extent that it
would require ships to be Withdrawn
from their present assignments.
! Fighting the war resolves itself in no
slight degree upon time, distance and
ships. The tragic ship shortage is re-
fected in recent orders cutting down
American imports.
Hon Much Wheat Is In Sight?
Lifting the curtain on the food sup
ply disclosed the fact that on March
| /, the stocks of wheat on farms
amounted to approximately 111,272,-
600 bushels. From this about 33,12O,-
| 600 bushels must be set aside for seed
| ing of spring wheat, leaving an avail
able balance for marketing in farmers
| hands of 78,152,000 bushels. On the
same date the stocks of wheat in COM
mercial hands were 69,693,0 900 bushels.
This gave a total supply of wheat
available for food purposes of 147,S45,-
| 900 bushels.
Flour stocks at mills totaled 10,202,-
600 bushels. In addition there was a
| visible supply of -four at terminal ele-
vators of 1864 500 bushels. This gave
a total of wheat and flour stocks on
March l, of 176,411 500 bushels. From
| this supply the United States must
feed itself and share with the Allies,
who require of US 100000 bushels
between March /, and harvest. Dur
| ing the same period this nation nor
mally consumes 200, 100000 bushels of
wheat.
To send to the Allies their require
ments is viewed as a military necess-
| ity at Washington. This will leave
available for home consumption 1O1,-
All, 500 bushels, or about one-half of
what is normally used.
Difficulties of Shipping Increase.
With shipping then the limiting fac
| tor, it falls upon the American people
te choose whether they will require
allied ships to move wheat from South
| American ports at the expense of the
needed movement of troops, munitions
and necessaries, thus endangering the
military program, or to release ships
| by reducing our own consumption of
wheat. The Food Administration Off
| Gals believe that this cut will be
brought about by a voluntary action
of the people supplemented by strict
control OF the distributing agencies.
There is a plentiful supply of wheat
| in Australia. The better part of two
crops is banked up and storage Is be
coming a serious problem in the Aus
traiian commonwealth. Their export
able surplus is estimated at 100000
600 bushels, but 1t is not thought that
more than 100000 bushels of this can
be moved from Australia to the United
States, as sailing vessels are about the
only available transports that can be