The Monticellonian., 1918-03-22
FOOD SHORTAGE
 CAUSE IF ALARM
CONGRESS AROUSED BY STATE MENT MADE BEFORE AGRicUL-
 TURAl COMMITTEE.
ATTACK USELESS PRINTING
Charge Made That Warehouse in Washington Is overflowing With Documents That Will Never Be Used.
By ARTHUR W. DUNN.

Used.
 By ARTHUR W. DUNN.
 WashingtOn.-It seems to be abso- lutely necessary to issue constant warnings to the American people about the saving of food. And yet, so far as observation goes in the national capital there has been no very great attempt to curtail the use of food stuffs. except so as to comply with the requests made by Food Admins trator Hoover in regard to meatless and wheatless days. There Is still In sight in the markets and the stores plenty of supplies, apparently, and as long as money is quite free the peo- pie are likely to buy those supplies.
 While Mir. Hoover issues note of alarm from time to time, the real scare has reached congress, and par deularly those senators and repre- -sentatives who have been investigat- ing the food situation. The members of the agricultural committee of the senate have been really alarmed by statements which have been made be- fore them, which so far have not reach ed the general public. Several of the senators are particularly anxious about the meat supply, and Senator Kenyon of Iowa. who has given a great deal of attention to the subject, feels that there will be meat famine in the United States within a year. even If every possible means should be adopt ed to increase the supply.
 "The people have not paid enough attention to production" is the con- clusion of Senator Kenyon.
 Senator Shoot of Utah, for the most part very diligent senator In op- posing useless printing, was asking in the senate to have some pictures printed as a part of the report of the Panama railroad commission. Most of the senators thought he was ask ing to have the report printed. which under the law must be printed anyway, and this caused Senator Poindexter of Washington to ask: twill anybody read it?"
 "Whenever anything appears print ed as senate document" remarked Senator Thomas of Colorado, "it is buried in the archives and buried for ever" He then told the senate that the government had rented ware house somewhere In the outskirts of the city of Washington and it was filled to overflowing with documents printed by the government that are not used and never will he used.
 Then Senator Gronna of North Da- Ikota took a hand in the discussion and complained bitterly because he was debarred from having petitions of his constituents printed in the Con- gressional Record on account of the shortage of paper, and yet tons and tons of these unread documents were being printed by the government.
 There continues to be talk in con- gress about graft and extravaganza. and so far it has been kept out of the range of party politics. for Democrats as well as Republicans join in the crit ieisms. Some members of the domi- nant party are inclined to make light of the alleged extravaganza in con lducting tae war, while others say that no war was ever waged yet which did not mem extravaganza on account of the nec essity for speed in procuring supplies.
 "Talk about that old saying. The old flag and an appropriation said one of the prominent Democratic sen ators, i've have not only got the flag. but We are getting the appropriations"
 And you are making the Republic ans look like pikers. although you crit icized us day in and day out when we were in power" was the reply of one of the Republican senators.
 Just what interest has been hold ing up the bill to set the clock ahead and save an hour of daylight Is not apparent, but for some reason or other this measure has been held up in the house after passing the senate many months ago. and has not yet become a law. So far as can he ascertained nearly everybody9is for it, or at least no one is against 1t. The national chamber of commerce has made canvass of its members, and they seem to be almost unanimous in favor of the measure. and what is more. they have found half hundred good req sons why it should pass. This may be like other measures which have very strong apparent support, but upon which there Is no affirmative action.
 A campaign Is now under way which ds intended to encourage the use of the English language in America. A recent statement says that 5000, 900 people in America are speaking more than 100 different languages, not one of which Is English; that thousands of aliens in our training camps are yet unable to understand military or. ders and directions. More than HOO newspapers and periodicals are printed. in foreign languages, of which more than TOO are written for and read by emigrants from countries with which the United States is at war.
 i Senator McCumber of North Da-