The Ordway new era., 1918-07-05
THE FOOD PROBLEM

II Is the food problem over there
that makes food problem over here
If we wished to be supremely selfish
ana suprcmely shortsighted-we could
go on enting as much as we like and
whatever We like. without much diff
Guilty or interruption-at least. until
the Germans camel
But we are not doing things in that
selfish and suicidal way. We are try.
Ing to make a great common pool Of
all of our food and all of the food of
the allies, and all of the food we can
get from South American and other
neutrals. and dividing 1t up fairly
among America, England. France. Bel
gium and Italy.
This does not mean that all of the
people in the great pool are going to
have the same ration, but means that
we are trying to arrange to have
enough for everybody. so that the SOL
diers-our soldiers and their soldiers
will be well fed, as they have to be
to fight hard and continuously, and
that the munitions workers and the
workers In all the other necessary In
dustrles. and the men and women at
home will all have enough to keep
alive and well. 1t Is absolutely neces-
sary to do this II the war is to be won,
and we are going to do 1t. but 1t means
planning, working. arranging cooper.
ating, being careful, not wasting. saw.
ing.
I.nd II means that each and every
one of us has got to help.
Now, we have enough and more than
enough food for ourselves, and the
Government 10 going to see to II that
we keep here at home q sufficient sup
ply Of every essential kind Of food to
support our people. But over there
they simply have not enough. Lord
Rhondda. the English food controller.
recently eabIed the American food ad-
n,inistrator. that unless we can send
the allies before the next uropean
harvest II, 900 900 bushels Of wheat In
addition to what had been sent up to
January Of this year he could not
assure the people Of the allies that
they would have a sufficient supply Of
food to carry on the war
He did not say anything in this cable
about the other food necessary, but
he has told OF these needs In other
cables-and by his actions In England.
For example. his latest regulation
compels reduction OF meat eating In
the United Kingdom to maximum of
one pound per week per person. this
pound including the bone and other
waste parts in the meat as bought In
the shop.
The allies must have more wheat,
more meat, more fnts. more dairy prod
ucts, more sugar. Their harvests were
very short-France had less than half
her normal crop of wheat-and the
available shipping Is small ins amount
and constantly being lessened by sub
marines. SO that II Is now practically
impossible to use any ships for the long
voyage necessary to bring food from
Australia and other remote markets
The food must come chiefly from
America. In specific figures It is nee
essnry for US to send to the allies
100000 tons OF foodstuffs a month.
This Is a great responsibility and Q
great problem. The food must he
found, and also the ships to carry It.
1t is being done. but can only continue
to be done by the help and full CO.
operation of all of us over our broad
land. We must produce and save
more.
To supply the wheat necessary until
the next harvest, we must reduce our
consumption by from one-fourth to
One-third: we must cut down our usual
average consumption of meats and
fars by from 10 to Is per cent. and
dairy products by about 10 per cent.
Over there they are tightening their
belts and doing everything they can.
They are eating war bread; they are
cutting down their sugar in England
to two pounds per person per month,
and In France and Italy to one pound
how much are you eating?-and they
are using ration cards for most of the
staples. We must meet sacrifice with
sacrifice. II we don't, we are helping
TO lose the war instead of helping b
win 1t.