Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-02

of the regulations can be bought by man
| of wealth in Germany today, and tins has
| honevcombed that nation with graft
| And it started with the very best hotels
the Adlon, the Esplanade and they are
! today responsible for the dlsorganzatlon
of the rationing systems IN public eating
| places Each manager or owner of the
| high grade hotel and eating house has "A
1 positive influence and example that
cannot be measured, rs Judged by Flu
| ropean experience. Each one of you
| has the chance to he a big brother TO a
| Boy Scout, and how the boy scout acts
will depend very largely upon not only
your example but your positive working
influence with the institutions and estab-
| lishments that are smaller, simpler and
! in no way as influential as your own.
| I'VE have just sent over two of the
| best food experts of the United States t.
| Europe, and what is the striking thing
! contained in their letters from London
| and Paris? The thing that struck them
| the most was the scaScity OF food in the
| best hotels of'those two cities
Thirdly and lastly, you have very
important field of negative example. II
isn't possible To maintain a conservation
program in the home, If the husband can
leave and go to a hotel and escape it
is thus impossible for home program to
be successful, so long AS hotels restaurants,
public eating houses and clubs will give
the spoiled man those things to cat which
the housewife Is trying to keep hun from
having
Now this is not IA theory, gentlemen
It is an absolute fact We hear II from
every State, We hear II from all classes,
We hear Il from women oi larger means
and rom women o, little means. that they
who are trying to play the game who are
conscientious, are frustrated in thcir
efforts at conservation by the selishness
81 men who Will not play the game with
them, because they know that they can
find some public eating places IN which the
policy OF conservation Is violated. In
tins negative manner by making It I'M
possible for selfish men to break the rules
which their wives are trying 70 follow,
YOU can contribute enormously to the
effectiveness Of food conservation pro
gram
Go to England today and compare IT
with England Of a year or two years ago,
and what is the striking conviction that
comes homc2 That the intensity with
which England is fighting this war IS
due as much rs anything else to the
example force and ability of her upper
classes so-caicd, the classes OF means.
They den> themselves the most, they take
the heaviest burdens, they reduce the
most from their accustomed standards;
and the poorer classes. the working
classes and the union labor groups OF
England have become convinced that the
British classes OF wealth and station are
absolutely IN this war to the end, are
willing 10 rsk everything and will stand
every deprivation that they ask everybody
else 10 stand, and more And when this
spirit comes over this country, VIC will
All have much greater intensity IN the
carrying on Of the war than We at present
possess.
L wish every man in this room could go
to the battlefield OF France. could 60 To
the front not merely to see what n front
looks like, with its trenches, It's men and
all Of the paraphcrnaia, but TO get the
reaction Of the French common soldier
toward the American visitor. These
men who have faced death for three and
half wears for Won and me. fighting a
battle in which we have just as much AT
stake as thew havc-thcse men salute an
American civilian with an expression of
respect, reverence and trust that is
absolutely past description by human
words
why do these French soldiers who
have struggled with death for freedom
for three and half years salute the
American Because IN that salute they
express their trust in America in the war
they express the trust in our assuming
orr share Of this struggle from every
point OF view not merely by governmental
participation IN military program. but
also hv the reconstruction Of our entire
lives from the point OF view Of saving and
sacriuco by supporting them in the same
sense that the American boy who fights
beside them supports them, and IS
supported by them
Now. We. gentlemen, must be worthy
of this trust and when 81 French soldier
statutes an American civilian and he knows
that that American Is merely one typical
Of hundred and hye million, he expects
us 70 do our duty as an ally and he knows
we will do IT, The people of France
know that the American people are being
asked 10 undergo food conservation and
they know that the man who asks them
to undergo it is the man best qualified in
the world To lay ont a program-the
Hoover Of Mort hern France and Belgium
and nov the Hoover Of the United States