Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-08

BILE the conditions and issues by which
we are now surrounded.
| We have heard much about the needs
of food conservation, but do we recog-
nize it to be the most important factor
to which our attention can be directed
at this time. Do we understand that
il offers us the greatest opportunity for
service which has come to us? DO we
realize that the whole fabric of the re-
| sistance of our nation, and that OF the
allies with which we are associated de-
ponds on food economies? Do we un-
derstand that the shortage of ships now
| is such that only the most concentrated
of foods can be sent abroad. and that
lacking these foods the lighting resist
ance of our allies is depleted, and we
will have to send forward an ever-in-
creasing number of our own young men
to pay the ultimate price of victory?
| Surely, under these circumstances We
are willing, even if our own boy has not
gone, to afford the largest measure of
protection to our neighbours boy, and so
save in every possible way those con-
centrateS and essential food materials
which are necessary for the wellbeing of
our armies abroad. The program ~ so
simple that many have missed it's true
import and have concluded that the lit
tie they might be able to do would not
be worth while. They overlook the fun
damental fact that an aggregation Of
drops of water makes up che ocean, and
that countless grains of sand make up
the desert. The saving of the slice of
bread by the individual may not be
much, but when los, 100000 people save
a slice, it becomes as important an
achievement towards winning the war
as the financing, organization and man.
agement of a great munitions factory.
Food is ammunition. Let us never
| forget this truth, and so when we look
at wheat bread, beef, pork, dairy prod
ucts and sugar. let us ever remember
that they represent the energy and
| lighting power of our armies and those
| of our allies; that their saving means
| the economy of lives of American sol
| diers which may run up into total II
| several thousand individuals; that the
more of them we save and provide for
| the use of fighting nations abroad, the
| sooner will this cruel war be brought to
an end. Let US visualize these products
into their true relation to the cause for
(which we are fighting-the freedom of
| the world from ahtocracy. Let us
ALWAYS remember that the loaf of bread
! saved is equivalent in destructive en-
| ergy to a rifle bullet, and that when we
add to this a can of beef andNpork and
! condensed milk and a pound of sugar
we have provided the equipment and en-
ergy needed through small sacrifices to
offset the destructive power Of a high
explosive she'll.
| A review of the worlds food situa-
ton shows that America produced in
most respects superabundant harvest.
This was not true, however, OF our
allies The records now at hand show
that they produced less and naturally
have less than they expected to har-
vest The measure Of their deficiency
must be made up out of the stores we
have in this country. The FOODS men,
toned above are those we need to save.
| We have been accustomed to eating all
of them az will Now we must find sat
4 isfactory substitutes therefor ana econ
| omize in their use in order that we may
free a sufficient amount Of them 10 go
abroad Let us remember that the
| maintenance of the civilian population
behind the lines is just as necessary ana
essential as that of feeding the soldiers
a. the front 1t takes the energy of sew
eral human beings to provide soldier
with food and equipment and ammuni-
ton The day is past when the sololeT
| carries his equipment with MIN anu
Gathers his food from the country ne
| invades, and it is only through the
proper organization of the commlssary
| lines of the nation that true OFFENSIVE
| raj
In this country we have an abundance
% corn on the other hand wheat IS
lona of the chief deficiencies from whlch
lour allies are suffering. We can use
49, ae substitute for wheat with
eminent satisfaction if we only nave the
Lii 70 do so. In the first place, we can
NOT ship corn abroad Satisfactorily "il''
Iif we did, it could not be used tpeIe
lbecause they do not understand NOV -
cook it and they have no MUS III WI nai
40 Grind II. If we reduced II 10 Weai
"a cent If across the ocean, the chances
ore mat much of it would spoil more
o,,ar in this country we eat Narleu
ua+ion Numerous things enter into our
dailv diet; whereas, abroad, parucuia'
Iv in France. the food of many OF the
neonle consists primarily OF Whlte 81 c'''
or war bread and wine. A SUBSTITUTE
in our ration would not surprise u VI"
countenance us, but chahse IL tnG
| zion of the F'renchman would entlreIE
upset. him. -. .,bro, 4
tocouse the herds of our allies have been
danleted. not only by the onslaught VI
the enemy, but by reason or their ma oIi-
&C., IN nroduce as much fodder for thel!
maintenance during the war as Iley CouIN
| in peace times. The difficulty OF OBTAIN
! inc fodder and grain for their malhleh-
ne - account of the submarine menace
bas caused thousands of cattle and other
meat-producing animals to be dliberateiy
| slaughtered. AS a result, dairy produc's
have decreased very materially
The sugar supply of these countries countries
| obtained formerly from Germany must
he brought across the waters from d
| long distance. The lack OF supply anu
| the difficulty of transporting the SAM
has resulted in the reductloh Oh lhe -
| H,,r,ntion of sugar on the part OF our