The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-06-07
RIGID ECONOMY
IN USE Of WHEAT
STILL REQUIRED


struggle such as we are now engaged
in the question of securing an ad-
equate supply of food for our armies,
the allies, and those at home will
be a decisive factor in the result"
declared Herbert Hoover in a tele-
gram sent to f. f. Cullen, repres-
entative of the National Food Ad-
ministration who is in the State of
Washington attending meetings of
organizations engaged in various
war activities. Mr.. Hoover contin-
ued:
1--WE stand at the threshold of
perhaps the greatest crises we have
ever faced as a nation. We have
staked our fortunes, the lives of
our sons and sunk our personal
desires in the struggle for Liberty.
These men who have gone over need
never question our support, but it
is just as important to continue the
stream of supplies especially wheat
flour to Britain, France and Italy,
without whose assistance and unim-
paired morale our forces can ac-
complish nothing. The allies use
every possible cereal substitute and
yet require some wheat flour to
bind their scanty loaf. This flour
must be furnished and because our
surplus has long been exhausted it
can only be supplied from our saw
ing from all sections of the country.
From organizations and individuals
have come messages pledging COM
plete abstention from wheat until
next harvest. l am hopeful that
the response will be nation wide
from all who can afford it, and we
will be able to give the women and
soldiers of our allies the bread they
ask"
AS outlining the critical food sit
uation in allied countries and the
necessity for American conservation
he following telegram was sent to
Mr. Cullen: Called requirements of
American wheat are growing greater
daily because of lack Of sufficient
shipping, not allowing transport of
as much Argentina wheat as was
calculated in the allied program.
The United States is snow living on
less than 40 per cent of it's normal
wheat consumption without COM
plant. England's normal consump-
ton of meat of about four pounds
per week per person was recently
cut down to four meat coupons per
week. totaling about one pound
This weeks cut was to three coupons
per week or about three-quarters of
pound. France is also down to
one pound. Our March pork ship
ments are the largest for any months
in the history of the country total
ing 308,000 600 pounds as against
less than 2O0,OOO,0OO for the largest
month of 1916 The average ship
ments of the largest months prior
to the war were about 103,O00,000
pounds. March beef shipments were
largest in the history of the nation,
or S7,O00,000 as against 100000
pounds for the largest month of
1917.
England has been drawing on her
reserves of food since October.
France is living on less than 20 per
cent of normal requirements and
Italy is in the worst condition of
all. Every pound of shipping avail
able is being used to send food
across. Wheat remains the greatest
need and is more of a war essential
than ammunition or men. The Food
administration is living up to its
monthly requirements of food ship
ments but is unable to fully catch
up with the deficit caused in Dec
ember, January and February by
the railroad congestion in this coun-
try"