The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-04-26

tell IN a clear, direct way the why
and the wherefore of every request"
Our wheat situation is today the
most serious situation in the food
supply of the whole allied world. We
have had stock taking and we find
that our harvest was less than it was
estimated. The supply of breadstuffs
in Europe is at its lowest ebb. There
is but one source of supply and that
is the United States"
Our allies, within the last few
days, have asked US to send rein
forcements, larger and faster than we
had anticipated. This is why we can
not draw wheat from Argentine or
Australia. We have not the ships"
I'VE are asked why we do not ship
corn; why we wish to ship wheat. No
corn can be shipped across the At
lantic for two months after the list
CT April, because that Is the germin-
ating season for corn and it will not
stand shipment. Up to this time the
allies have used some 80 to 40 per
cent of corn in their bread Their
bread has been as nothing compared
to the bread that we have had in this
country, neither in palatability nor
luxuriousness. After this, If they are
to be fed they must be fed on wheat
bread or none at ALL"
"Now, we have founded the Food
Administrator on voluntary effort.
We have no desire to depart from
this idea, but if we are to accomplish
this problem it must be accomplished
by the voluntary effort of the intel
!igent people. If this democracy has
not reached such stage of develop
ment that it has in its people the
self-denial, voluntary self-denial, will
lingness to sacrifice, to protect its
own institutions and those of Europe
from which our own were bred, then
1t deserves to 60 down under the Ger.
man hand and take another form of
civilization"
Therefore, my message is small
and concrete-the service that we ask
of you is to abstain from the use of
wheat in any form until the next har-
vest. Every message that we receive
every hour Of the day shows us that
we shall have larger acreage plant
ed in wheat this year than ever be-
fore. The arrival of the next harvest
will solve our difiiculties. If the Lord
is good to us in the weather, our
problem will be over by the list of
September. That is not a LONG ne.
Rod of sacrifice"
No order has come from the Food
administration to the people of Polk
county with regard to this matter. AS
Mr.. Hoover has said I'VE ask for
service" A letter was received by
the Food Administrator for Polk
county, signed by Braxton Beacham
as Food Administrator of the State
| or Florida, asking for an expression
on the part of the people and as to
whether they would be willing to
surrender for the use of our ARM
and the allies our stocks of wheat
and flour and abstain from the use
OF these until the next harvest or 9th,
err relief was in sight.
The newspapers this morning car
ry a denial that Mr.. Beacham has
given any order looking to the re-
linquishment on the part of this coun-
ty of the -four supply in order that
1t may be available for the uses OF
the government. The editor Of this
pespCi tuihCu WIFI MI. DtdCudIu JUlS
morning over the long distance tele,
phone and was assured that no such
order had been promulgated, nor
would it be until in the Judgment OF
the Federal Food Commissioner 1t
should be necessary. But it is an en-
couragement to those in authority to
have such voluntary action as that
which was taken yesterday by the
people of Polk county, conveying the
assurance that when called upon the
resources Of this county will he i'm
mediately available. Polk county pa
triotism is not of the character which
has to be forced, but is spontaneous
and voluntary, and we are proud that
it has been expressed in such uncer-
tain terms even before the need of
its exercise in this particular direc-
ton.