The Washington herald., 1918-10-17
FOOD FAMINE
FACES WORLD
America Faces Shortest
Rations in the History
of Nation.

America is facing the shortest rs-
tons In her history. The demands
of the world for food are Increasing
daily, and our faith is pledged TO
our allies and to neutral nations to
feed them
Every mile of victory in devastated
France and Belgium adds its thou
sands Of hungry mouths to be fed.
With France and Belgium back under
allied fags. and the Germans hurled
behind the Rhine intrenchments, 10
oo0. 900 more people become dependent
on this country for their food
Should peace come. where America
is now feeding upwards OF 4o,ooo,ooo
of people, the burden of feeding near
ly $50. 100000 Of people will fall upon
US, in addition to our own people
At home and our soldiers abroad.
Hoover IL swamped.
The Food Administration knows all
this, and Is seeking solution of the
problem Lights burn there late at
night and 10 the desk of Herbert
Hoover come great files of statistics
on crop conditions: yields and sup
plies from all over the world: reports
on ship tonnage. populations rations
and diets.
Grain food resources show a net
loss from the 1917 production of Us. -
00O, 900 bushels OF cereals and their
substitutes. These figures are taken
from the last report of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
There is a reserve from the last
corn crop being carried over in the
shape of pork. Reports indicate about
Sc. 10000 more hogs in this country
now than last year.
The exports of foodstuffs for the
year ending July /, 1918. to our armies,
our allies. Belgian relief. and certain
neutrals to whom we are obligated
totaled I1,20.O00 tons. The program
for the year ending July l, 1919 should
territorial conditions remain as they
now are, involves an export OF 1850, =
O00 tons. an increase of 5,730, coo tons.
Peace Bringing Burdens.
When the Germans are driven be-
hind the Rhine, and the 1O.0O0.000
of people, now behind the German
lines, but French and Belgian by ma
tionalitles are again reunited TO
their countries, Americas burdens
will be increased almost 25 per
cent, which would increase the ex-
port food program to over $1,000.
900 tons or approximately twice
the exports OF foods last year; and
with an added 10000. 900 people to
| feed. or about five times the num-
Der cared for last year.
The burden is there. 1t cannot
be shifted. Armenia. Serbia. Rom
ma mia, the neutrals, Italy. France.
Belgium. England. and perhaps a
great part of European Russia must
be fed. II Russia is financed II
may be possible to find food for
her from Siberia. But America Is
the only hope of the rest of Europe
Not until her first crop comes in
can Europe do much to feed her
self, and for many crops after that
the yield will be small.
Now Scanning Reserves.
There are those who look TO the
reserve supplies OF food in Argen-
| tina. Australia and India to save
the day. But consider the matter
of transportation. From New York
to Liverpool Is 3.o36 miles. From
Buenos Ayres to Liverpool is 625s
miles; from Bombay. 10.6S0 miles;
from Australia. 1880. A ship can
make two trips from New York
while making one from Buenos
Ayres; and three from New York
against one from Bombay or Aus
tralia-
Ships Grest Factor.
While America is feeding EUROPE
her ships loaded with food on the
way across, she can be using the
same ships to bring home her VIC
torious armies But IL the shipping
of the world is switched TO bring
the food OF the fer-distant countries
to Europe. Americas armies must
lie idle in Europe. IL is figured, nearlv
full two years before all can he
returned TO their homes.
The men are enlisted for the dura-
ton OF the war. II they should be
released in Europe without shipping
to return them. America would pro-
test. If they should be held in camps
in Europe, their active duties COM
plste, America would protest in
any case. the departments of our
government fear the effect on their
morale and fiber under such condi-
tons. America is pledged to return
them to her shores on conclusion of
their noble work abroad.
America is pledged to feed the
world. America. too, must eat, and
America must prepare to deny her
self as she has never denied herself
before The American government
will ask it, and conditions will ex-
act 1t