Evening star., 1918-06-30
Putting the Impress Of Thrift Upon Our Counhys Wasters


ican people by practicing conservation.
have Saved enough wheat to supply
more than 30.O00,000 of people with
bread for like period. In other words,
each American family of three persons,
by practicing conservation, has made it
possible for one person in Europe to eat
bread who could not otherwise have
had it to eat. That. it would seem:
ought to be pretty satisfying reward
for the amount of self-denial involved,
but it is only part of the story.
4*
The 1917 harvest of wheat in the
United States was short many mil
lions of bushels; one of the poorest
crops, in fact. of recent years. On
the basis of normal consumption in
this country there was an exportable
surplus of only about 25,000.000 BUSH
els. But consumption in this country
has not been on normal basis The
American people have been Hoover
izing AS result. to June 1 the
United States had been able to ex-
port 125, ,0S0, 900 bushels of wheat. and
another 25,000.000 is to be exported
before the new crop is harvested
saving through conservation of 1885,
100000 bushels. practically bushel
and a peck for each man, woman and
child in America. Four and one-half
bushels of wheat make a barrel of
flour. 1t figures out, therefore, that
since the first of last August each
American family of seven persons has
averaged eating about two barrels OF
flour less than it normally would eat
during the same period.
Saving of other focdstuffs has not
haon largo he.
cause the necessity has not been so
great, but the savings effected have
played a tremendous part in enabling
England and France and Italy to con-
tinue in the war, to say nothing of
the thousands saved from actual star
Hun invaders.
Reduction in the consumption of
meat-beef, pork, mutton and poul-
try-has amounted to eight pounds
per capita. a total saving of $4,000
900 pounds of meat. To realize what
this means it is necessary only to
know that the S40.o00.000 pounds
saved through conservation is almost
exactly half the total amount of
meat exported by the United States
during the last year of unprecedented
meat shipments. The actual figures
for pork, the great essential meat for
overseas shipment, are not available.
but the saving in pork was much
greater than in meats taken as 4
whole.
During the year soo.ooo.ooo people
in the United States and allied coun-
tries have been fed from a common stock
Of food estimated to be sufficient only
for 250, 900. That it was possible
to stretch this food stock to supply
an extra 5o.Ooo.od0 people is due
very largely to conservation practiced
In this country.
How large has been Americas con-
tribution is shown by the food i'm
port figures of the allied countries.
In pfe-war days about 10 per cent. of
the food import requirements of the
last year America has supplied so
per cent. of this food deficit. and did
his despite the fact that her own stock
If food was per cent below normal.
The great publicity campaign of the
Iood administration made every one
ing wheat. meat and sugar to the
allies. but there has been an enor-
nous export of other vital foodstuffs
about which little has been heard.
and tens Of thousands of
children in France and Belgium are
sible to feed them on American con-
densed milk. Nearly half the dairy
cattle in Belgium and practically all
In the occupied portions of northern
france are carried on or killed by
the Germans. Because Of the terror
under which the mothers of these
regions lived. the average period of
breast feeding was under four
months. Then it was a question Of
condensed milk or starvation. In
northern France. especially. there has
been scarcely child born since the
German invasion. whose continued
life has not been dependent upon con-
1ensed milk from America. Export
II condensed milk from the United
states has increased from a pre-war
Yearly average of about 400, 900
pounds to a present yearly average
II 10000. .000 pounds. a percentage of
Increase OF nearly 80, 900 per cent Ship
nents Of condensed milk alone have alb
oluteiy meant salvation of the race to
he peoples at war against Germany.
These figures tell only a part Of
he story of what operation Of the
United States Food Administration
las meant to the peoples of the al
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