New-York tribune., 1918-12-02
Hoover Says Need
OF Food Saving in
U.S.Has Increased
Conservation Campaig N
Message Is Read in
Churches and Schools
Points to War Pledge
Shows Additional Millions in
Starving Sections of Old
World Must Be Fed

Food conservation week, in which the
interest Of tho nation is to be centred
on campaign during the coming
months to save food to save the world
was ushered In yesterday with the
reading in churches, colleges, schools
and other institutions of a message
from Herbert C. Hoover calling upon
the nation to meet its obligations and
Its opportunities. The message fol
lows:
again in full confidence I call upon
the American people to set aside Sun
day, December I. and the week follow
ing 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-
gramme Of the Allies REQUIRED we were
prepared to meet; that the conference
need not consider whether or not we
had tho 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.
Demand Not Diminished
"The change in the foreign situation
necessarily alters the details Of our
food programme, 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 on the United
States is not diminished, however. On
the contrary, it is increased In addi-
tion to the supplying of those to whom
we are already pledged we new have
the splendid opportunity and obliga-
tion of meeting the needs of those
rmllions Of people in the hitherto oc-
cupied territories who are facing actual
starvation
"The people of Belgium, Northern
Poland, Russia and Armenia rely upon
America for immediate 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 developments of famine
condition among those other people
whom we have recently released from
our enemies.
Call these considerations mean thai
upward of 200,0C0,000 people, in addi-
tion to those we are already pledged
misery and famine. Our appeal to-day
is, therefore, larger than the former
appeal to the war conscience of our
people. The new appeal is to the
world conscience which must be the
guiding inspiration Of our future pro-
gramme:
"The President of the United States
government of this work: perfect and
enlarge the arrangements for food
stuffs to the populations of Belgium
and France now being 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
Says "We Must Do Our Part"
"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. 1t is that COM
mon recognition of obligation that we
now wish to create. Such an intelligent
pie must be the main dependence of
the stricken countries of the world un-
til normal conditions are once more re-
stored.
america by her participation in the
war has accomplished her objectves
Of self-defence and Of vindicating the
efficiency Of government in which
the people, and the people only, are
sovereign. She has established the
foundations of government by the peo-
pie throughout the enemy countries,
and this is the real bulwark of world
peace. We have yet to build on these
foundations. No government or nation
can stand if it's people are starving.
We must do our part if the world be
not consumed in flame 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 estab-
fishing peace on earth, but also their
conservation, by self denial, to the
cause Of suffering humanity"