Mexico Missouri message., 1918-08-29
TO USE FOOD CARDS
AS A LAST RESORT
VOLUNTARY coNsE TioN
WILL BE FOLLOWED AS LONG
AS POSSIBLE, SAYS OFFICIAL.
HOOVER IS AGAINST FORCE
Only When other Methods Fall VIII
I Tickets Be Used in This
Country.
HOOVER is AGAINST FORCE

The question frequently has been
asked of the Missouri division Of the
Food Administration why sugar cards
and bread cards have never been used
in this country, In talk to the coun.
ty food administrators of Missouri in
Columbia recently, ]. W. Hallowell,
an official of the United States Food
Administration, declared that when
Herbert Hoover was appointed food
administrator for this country he set
his heart on having a voluntary sys.
tenn of food conservation. He believed
in the American people, and was con-
hdent they would do what was neces.
sary in war times without having the
"big stick" used.
"Mr. Hoover did not want to use
force" said Mr.. Hallowell "He knew
conditions in Germany, where food
dictator and not food administrator
had been appointed. One worked
through coercion; the other through
cooperation. An autocratic system Of
bread cards and sugar cards, Mr..
Hoover believed, would take fror, the
American people a splendid opportu.
nifty to build up their character, and
opportunity of knowing what should be
done at home, in view of the situation
abroad, to help win the war. And
Mr.. Hoover believed the people OF
this country deserved to have the op.
portunity to try system Of voluntary
conservation"
A system of card ratloning, Mr. Hal
lowell declared, would cost $4,000, 900
year and would require the services
of 100000 persons. Instead of this
$50,000,000, which would have been
required for card system, the volun.
tary system has cost $2,O00,0oo.
Mr.. Hoover knew, too, that the card
rationing system was not successful in
Germany, Mr.. Hallowell said. The rich
get all the food they want, while the
poor can obtain only what their cards
allow them. The large hotels in Ber-
lin and other German cities are sell
ing choice, articles of food at prices
which only the weaIthiest can pay.
Hams can be obtained at $40 apiece
and butter for 500 pound The poor
are becoming resentful at this state
OF affairs and 1t is something Germany
will have to reckon with after the war.
The voluntary system will be fol-
lowed in this country as long as pos
sible," said Mr.. Hallowell. "Where II
fails another system will be tried
But until we see that the voluntary
system is going to fail, that conserva-
tion will have to be forced by card
system, such system will not be
used.
"The way in which the Allies were
fed from our last years wheat crop
is one Of the most remarkable things
the American people have accom-
plished through voluntary conserva-
tion. Our last years crop was ap-,
proximately $50 million bushels. This
would have allowed a normal export Of
only 20 million bushels, but due to the
splendid spirit of cooperation on the
part of the American people and the
rigid conservation of wheat, 140 mil
lion bushels of that crop already have
been sent and 10 or 12 million more
will be shipped across. The Food Ad-
ministration is now taking 60 per cent
of the wheat -four output of the mills
and sending it in jute sacks direct to
the Allies.
This could never have been accom-
plished without the cooperation OF the
American people. especially the wom-
en-" Mr.. Hallowell declared.