Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-18
rRx vernon Kellogg.1

We Americans are patriotic, in this
war; but. as for sacrifice, except fol
the few families already bereft Of son
or father and those more numerous
others whose sons have already gone
across and are justifiably suffering
constant anxiety because Of this, we
have not made the beginning of a be-
ginning.
The food adm.ntration has. indeed
worked us up gradually from don
waste thru "wheatless day and
then two. week, and "meatless
day." with later an added 'porkless
one. and save sugar and save fats,
to pound and a half Of wheat flour
limit week, or if you are well to do
and can easily buy many other things,
to no wheat at all until the next har-
vest. And the fuel administration has
had "tag-the- shovel day and then
some chilly Mondays, quickly return
ing to warmer ones when we objected,
And the treasury has asked LIS to
make our investments in safe securi-
ties of lower interest rather than in
less safe ones which pay higher inter-
esct when they pay any at all.
That. put roughly. is about the
extent to which our patriotism has led
US 10 sacrifice.
All this is not to dccry the quality OF
our patriotism or its potency to led US
sometime to real sacrifice. But so far it
simply has not done 1t.
Perhaps il has not needed to yet. But
the food adn7inistroti ton seems to
think differently II has tried TO make
evident the opportunity for sacrifice,
even if it has not really asked for it,
because from what it knows Of Bel
GUM and France and Italy and Eng
land it sees a real opportunity and a
real need for a, little American sacrihce
in the way OF eating.
Take the single matter Of sugar, for
example Italy and France are now
allowing themselves an average OF
about !, ounces of sugar a month per
capita. We are saving sugar on 4
consumption basis of over 100 ounces
a month per capita. We do not eat
quite all of this on the table or use II
in cooking. We drink part of
il at the soda fountains, and use up a
smaller part in various factories that
produce neither edibles nor potables.
But we do actually eat about eighty
ounces a month
Then there is meat. The English
now get their meat on ration cards;
also their butter. margarine, and other
fats They allow themselves 20 ounces
OF meat, including poultry and game,
week This is the weight as the
meat comes from the butcher, includ-
ing the bone. To encourage "sel1-sup-
pliers" the Engl:shman who catches or
raises his own rabbit may eat all of it
without weighing it. But in this time
OF war, and sacrifice for the sake of
winning 1t. we are eating meat, nov m
GLIDING poultry and game, at the rate
Of 80 ounces a week per capita
Again take the matter Of the control
Of public eating places. There has been
constant complaint from the housewife
to the food administration that it was
most discouraging to try to live up to
the specific suggestions Of the food ad-
ministration appeal for food conserva-
ton when the hotels, restaurants, din
ing cars and clubs were not playing
the game also. There was similar COM
plant in England.
What the food administration has
done is to renew, more pressingly, Its
appeals to the managers Of the public
eating places. and just now 1t has been
pronisd by large group Of managers
Of first -class hotels and restaurants,
that they will toe the mark squarely.
In fact, they have offered to keep their
toes a little behind the mark chalked
down by the food administration, and
have pledged themselves to use no
wheat at all in their kitchens and din
ing rooms until the next harvest, That
is a fine pledge; let US assume that it
will be honestly and finely lived UP to.
But what the English have done in
this same matter IS to take no chances
not that 7 do not prefer the Amer
lean way if it works. By sovernm ent
order the actual quantity Of food that
may be served in the English public
eating places Is strictly and specifically
limited. The present allowance of the
staple foods is: Meat up to the total OF
your meat-card allowance, 20 ounces
las it comes from the butcher
week: 8 ounces OF bread at breakfast
and dinner. at luncheon, and IL at
afternoon tea: one-third Of an ounce
of butter. margarine. and other fats at
each of the three meals. and one