The Natchitoches enterprise., 1918-12-12
MUST INCREASE
FOOD EXPORTS
America Called on by End OF
War to Supply Added
Millions.
ECONOMY STILL, NEEDED.
Over Three Times Pre-War Shipments
Required-SituatIon In Wheat and
Fats Proves Governments
Policy Sound.

With the guns In Europe SllenCeut
we have now to consider a new world
food situation. But there can be no
hope that the volume Of our exports
can be lightened to the slightest de-
gree with the cessation Of hostilities.
Millions Of people liberated from the
Prussian yoke are now depending
upon us for the food which will keep
them from starvation.
With food the United States made
It possible for the forces OF democ'
racy to hold out to victory. To insure
democracy In the world, we must con-
tinue to Live simply in order that we
may supply these libera;ed nations OF
Europe with food Hunger among
people inevitably breeds anarchy.
American food must complete the work
Of making the world safe for demoe.
racy.
Last year we sent 11,S20,00o tons Of
food TO Europe. For the present year,
with only the European Allies to feed,
we had originally pledged ourselves to
a program that would have increased
our exports to 17,5O0,000 TONS Now,
to feed the liberated nations, we will
have TO export a total Of not less than
100000 toas-practically the limit
of loading capacity at our ports. Re
viewing the world food situation, we
find that some foods win be obtainable
in quantities sufficient to meet all
world needs under q regime Of eco
nomical consumption. On the other
hand, there will be marked world
shortages in some important commodi'
ties.
Return 20 Normal Bread Loaf.
With the enlarged wheat crops
which American farmers have grown
and the supplies of Australia, the Ar
gentine and other markets now acceS
sible to shipping, there are bread
grains enough to enable the nations to
return to their normal wheat Loaf,
provided we continue to mill flour at
q high percentage Of extraction and
maintain economy In eating and the
avoidance Of waste.
In fats there viii be q heavy short
age - about 5000, 100000 pounds in
pork products, dairy products and
vegetable oils. While there will be
shortage Of about three million tons
in rich protein feeds for dairy ami
mails, there will be sufficient supplies
Of other feedstuffs to allow economical
consumption.
In the matter of beef, the worlds
supplies are limited to the capacity Of
The available refrigerating ships. The
supplies Of beef In Australia, the Ar
gentine and the United States are suf.
fclent TO load these ships. There viii
be a shortage In Ghe importing coin-
tries, but we cannot hope to expand
exports materially for the next months
In view of the bottle neck In trans
portation.
We will have a ,suffcient supply Of
sugar TO allow normal consumption In
uIis country IL the other nations TO
tain tAeir present short rations or in-
crease tkem only slightly. For the
countries of Europe, however, to In.
crease their present rations to a ma.
terial extent will necessitate our shar-
ing a part of our own supplies witA
them.
Twenty Million reHs OF, Food.
OF the world total, North America
will furnish more than 60 per cent
The United States, including the West
Indies, will be called upon to furnish
20,000O00 tons Of food Of all kinds a.
compared with our pre-war exports Of
about 100000 tons
While we will be able to change our
program in many respects, even o
casual survey Of the world supplies
In comparison to world demands shows
conclusively that Europe viii know
famine unless the American people
bring their home consumption down
to the barest minimum that will main
tain health and strength.
There are conditions of famine In
Europe that win be beyond our power
TO remedy. There are 400O0,0o peo-
pie in North Russia whom there 10
smalr chance of reaching with food
this@lyinter. Their transportation 10
dan1ralized In complete anarchy, and
shortly many Of their ports win DO
frozen, even II internal transport
coulc beSrealized.
TO Preserve Civilization.
At this moment Germany has not
alone sucked the food and animals
from all those masses of people she
has dominated and left starving, but
she has left behind her u total wreck
age OF social institutions. and this
mass Of people is now confronted with
absolute anarchy.
IL we value our own safety and ths
social organization Of the world, If W.
value the preservation Of civilization
itself, we cannot permit growth Of thia
cancer In the worlds vitalz
Famine is the mother Of anarchy
From the inability Of governments "a
secure food for their people grows
revolution and chaos. From an ability
TO supply their people grows stability
Of goyer5anent and the defeat Of an
archy. Jad we put it on no higbei
plane tran our interests In the pro
lection Of our institutions, we musi
besur ourselves In solution ct thii
problem