Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1918-11-30
WEEK OF DECEMBER |
TO CONSERVE FOOD
National Food Administrator
Herbert Hoover, Sends Out
Open Letter To People
TO THE WAR CONSCIENCE

Under date of December first (to-
morrow National Food Administra-
tor Herbert Hoover, Esq. has sent out
the following open letter:
Again in full confidence. call upon
the American people TO set aside Sun
day. December 1st. and the week fol-
lowing, for the consideration of
Americas opportunity for renewed
service and sacrifice
Last summer, when the military
situation was acute, we assured the
Inter-Allied Food Conference in Lon
don that, whatever the war-food pro-
gram of the Allies required, we were
prepared to meet; that the Conference
need not consider whether or not we
had the supplies; we were prepared
TO find them; we pledged ourselves by
the voluntary economy of our people.
to have the reserves in food to supply
all necessities. The ending of the War
does not release us from the pledge.
The same populations must be fed,
and until another season has passed
they cannot feed themselves.
THE change in the foreign situation
necessary alters the details of our
food program. because the freeing of
! the seas from the submarine menace
renders accessible the wheat supplies
of India, Australia and the Argentine.
The total food demand upon the United
States is not diminished, however. On
the contrary, ii is increased In addi-
tion to the supplying of those to whom
we are already pledged. we now have
the splendid opportunity and obliga-
tion of meeting the needs of those mil
/ lions of people in the hitherto occu-
| pied territories who are facing actual
starvation. The people of Belgium,
Northern France, Serbia, Roumania,
Montenegro, Poland, Russia and Ar
menia rely upon America for imme-
diate aid. We must also participate in
the preservation of the newly liberated
nations in Austria, nor can we ignore
/ the effect on the future world develop
ments OF a famine condition among
those other people whom we have re-
Gently released from our enemies.
All these considerations mean that up
wards OF two hundred million people,
in addition to those we are already
pledged to serve, are now looking to
us in their misery and famine Our
appeal today is, therefore, larger than
the former appeal to the war con-
science" Of our people The new APP
peal is to the world conscience"
which must be the guiding inspiration
of our future program.
THE President OF the United States
has asked me TO take charge for this
Government of this work; to perfect
and enlarge the arrangements for
foodstuffs to the populations OF Bel
GUM and France now released and to
organize and determine the need OF
provision to the liberated peoples of
Southern Europe to prevent such de-
bacle as has taken place in Russia.
The determining factor for the sue
cess Of such an enlarged appeal will
be the vivid consciousness in every in
dividual in each community OF obliga-
tion and opportunity. It is that com
mon recognition of obligation that we
now wish to create. Such an intelli-
gent world conscience" in the Ameri-
can people must be the main depen-
dence of the stricken countries OF the
world until normal conditions are once
more restored.
America by her participation in
the war has accomplished her objec-
tives of self-defense and OF vindicating
the efficiency of a Government in
which the people and the people only,
are sovereign. She has established
the foundations of government by the
people throughout the enemy coun-
tries, and this is the real bulwark of
world peace. We have yet to build
on these foundations No government
nor nation can stand if its people are
starving. We must do our part If the
world be not consumed in fame of
anarchy.
THE American people. in this most
critical period of their history, have
the opportunity to demonstrate not
only their ability to assist in establish
ing peace on earth, but also their con-
secration, by self-denial, to the cause
of suffering humanity"