Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-06
PATRIOTIC RALLY AT TOWN HALL
Large Audience Heard Robert Scovile State Food Admin strator, Speak Conservation of Food of Food May Lose the War Said Mr. Scovile-Bass Clef Gives Interesting Programme

4 large audience gathered at the Town hall Tuesday evening for pa- triotie rally in behalf of the state council of defense and the federal food administration.
 The evenings programme was open ed by singing by the Bass Clef which rendered the following enjoyable pro gramme: America, Comrades in Arms, Hymn to Night. Prayer of Thanksgiv- ing. Pack Up You. Troubles Keep the Home Fires Burning. and the Star Spangled Banner.
 Mayor Brown .,lntroduces SeoviIle.
 At the conclusion of the singing Mayor Allyn L. Brown made a short address and introduced Robert Sco- vile, federal food administrator for the state of Connecticut. Mayor Brown said: There have been many meetings in this city since the war started, but I think none is more inn portant than this one. The eonseFva- tion of food is an important factor in '. M. H. A., the Knights of Columbus and the Red Cross are all doing some thing for the men in the service, some thing for the men who are on the fir ing line and in the camps. They are doing great work in keeping up the morale of the army. But here is an organization, the farm bureau which reaches and helps others than those in the service They reach the man who stays at home. The farm bu- reau is the recognized agency of the federal government to help in the pol icy of food conservation. There is no man in the state who has done more along these lines than the man who will speak to you tonight. Robert Sco- vile of Hartford, federal food ad- ministrator of Connecticut.
 Food Problem Intricate.
 MT. Scoville was greeted with ap- rlause and spoke as follows:
 Of all the problems the nation to- day is confronted with none is more intricate than the food situation. The production of food is. conducted in small units but the output is enorno ous running into the billions It is the onIy industry which must not he inter- fered with as a discontinuance Of only q few hours plays havoc in the coun~ try.
 Another thing that enters into the problem is the matter of diet There are many people who will not change their diet even to benefit ths country IL Is d ltdIQ REOfjpStliOil tG SEt lItSID to go without certain commodities
 The Problem of Labor.
 Then there is the problem of labor Many of those who heretofore have heSn engaged in producing food have left and gone tc war or into other in- dustries where there is more money The consumption of food has increased also. With the great advance in the number of working men the demand and overland transportation is another difficulty that the administration has to cope with. Wheat that is growr in Australia cannot be shipped out tc relieve the situation and it is the same with sugar. There is sugar 1T Java but it cannot be shipped There is no surplus of food in this countr, and the nation is living from hand tc mouth or rather from harvest to har- vest.
 Let us look at the conditions 1T Europe. There is Russia. They have been and are now in the middle of z revolution. There is very little har- vesting in that country and there is not enough grain for home eonsump- tion. Germany, if she makes peace Wlen RuSSla. VIII noL benenl much I'm mediately. Ukraine is fertile and i open to Germany her food problem will be solved.
 Italy is in bad condition for food Their man power is engaged in manu- facture of munitions and those tha, are able are in the army. She has been feeding her peopia with blacl bread made from flour that is nardll fit to eat It has broken the mora I, of her men. The conditions are some what improved but they still need goot clean food. It is up to the United States to send them relief but the wa, 1 is dangerous and much grain is sunl on the way.
 France is in poor shape as regards to food. The men in the trenches ar, only allowed 15 ounces of bread da,