The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-02
NATIONS MAY JOIN
TO CURB FOOD RATES
International Purchasing Of
Supplies Planned by Eco
nomic Council.
q. s. ASKED TO GIVE AID
Unwarranted Price Increases
During Last Thirty Days
Cause Alarm.
.. s. ASKED TO GIVE AID

LONDON. Aug. Steps toward inter
national collective purchasing OF food
| stCfs to check profitesring and speculA-
| ton, which are declared 70 be rife In
all countries. were taken at to-days
meeting Of the Supreme Economic Coun-
ell The return to the system IN vogue
during the war was proposed by the
| British. French and Italian representa-
tlves. The proposal was referred to q
committee. which will coordinate the
plan and present Il to the American
Government with an invitation for its CO.
operation.
The members of the council stated
they recognized that prohteering and
speculation had been going on generally
| for some time. but the activities toward
| unwarTanted price raising during the
last thirty days IL considered alarming.
This was due, the members believed. to
q sharp fall In the harvest prospects.
1t was pointed out. however. that while
the harvest prospects were less favor
able now than they were July 1, there
was no reason to believe there was
not suficint food to last throughout 1870.
and there was no reason for the undue
advance of prices
U. .. Cooperation Needed.
All the members Of the council agreed
II was necessary for the United States
to cooperate in the collective buying
plan. because at the present time the
United States II supplying such grea.
quantities of food to Europe that the
collective system without the United
States would virtually be pitting the
buyer against the seller.
As the food restrictions in the United
States ended with the coming OF peace
and the Food Administration was de-
mobilized, II was pointed out that Her
ert Hoover, representing the United
States. was not authorized to bind the
| country to any agreement, and for that
reason IL was decided TO place the plan In
the hands Of the committee
The members of the council agreed
after hearing evidence OF European con-
diticns that the nations on this side
cannot and will not in the present social
condition be subjected to further In
creases in the prices Of necessities. It
was maintained by some members that
unless something was done the allied
nations would find themselves in q posi-
tion Of being able to control purchases
of foodstuffs for Germany through the
reparations commission but unable TO
central the prices they themselves must
pay.
The members despaired OF reducing
prices much below the level obtaining
three months ago, but they were deter
mined that If possible they would not
permit prices to 60 higher.
As . sort Of consolation to the Amer
leans II was shown that prices in Europe,
except where commodities were subsi-
diced by the Government, were higher
than in the United States.
Hoover Speaks at Dinner.
Sneakfnr at a dinner of the Council
tonight Mr.. Hoover said:
The world needs what might be called
a spiritual revival Of the spirit that won
the war. We need the sense OF service
that was manifest among the Allies a
year ago II the world Is to survive the
economic conditions confronting II now.
with her present production Europe
can survive now. We must revive the
! old lighting spirit to win over economic
| conditions. As one member Of the Coun-
ell said to-day. It is question Of prayer.
not OF argument"
A general European coal control or
ganization TO supersede the partial con-
troll exerted through the International
Relief Organization was suggested by
| Mr.. Hoover. This subject will be dis
| cussed tomorrow. II was pointed out by
Mr.. Hoover that European coal produc-
ton now had diminished more than ~
per cent below the production OF 1914.
Mr.. Hoover announced that he would
| resign from the Economic Council Sep
TENDER /, and Lord Robert Cecil said he
would cease to be a rotary British MEM
Der of the council after its present ses-
sion.