Evening star., 1919-01-19

Hf sHtIDoS &. CLINE
n n Nm who have inade "a atudy Df
M the subject are much con e.
| cerned over the prospect
that with ths procia lining OF
peace All control over fooastttffr. both
| IN the way Of domestic regulation and
| the supervision of exports, viii come
. TO an end. They fear that If n treaty
Of peace ia signed without there hav-
ing been legIflation by CohFrcan 70
extend the period Of control there win
! be an era Of disastrou8 speculation
and profiteering. and that. the world
! being free to buy. America VIII be
drained of food8tunB TO an extent that
, Will threaten the horae supply.
I Instead OF relaxing their reguia-
! tions. England and France are plan
/ ming 10 make their wartime control
/ OF food even stronger through the
period Of reconstruction and read
/ iustment. Several Of the European
/ neutrajs. notably the Scandinavian
/ countff1s, which had little + or no
! food control during the war, are inaBgl-
| rating II now.
| AT Mercy of the Hungry.
! But the United States, unless Con
/ gregn iH aroused TO an appreciation oi
! the impending danger. soon will b.
at the mercy Of the npecniator ~
+ home ard whoever abroad is hungry
! and han money wherewith To buy.
t Food control has been accomplished
under t~o separate acts Of Com
! grnaa--the Lever act and the trading
/ @ith-the~ensny act Under the Lever
! nc. the President created the United
states Food Administration. with
Herbert Hoover al it's head. and un-
der tbs trading -8itb-the- enemy ACT
he created the War Trade Board
. ~hief has control over all exports. In
Guiding foodatufts.
The Lever act provides specifically
that the authority conferred by II
! shall pse when ths President shall
have proclaimed that peace has been
/ restored. The trading witfi~tha-en
emy act is less specific, but II nakes
no provision for Il continuance Of II,
. powers beyond the period Of the war
The executive Interpretation Is thai
this act, too. VIII become void with
the proctaiming Of peace. and Presi-
den. Wilson has specifically recon
rnended that there shall be enacted
| legislation for continuance OF tHt
| War Trade Board.
Once Benefit, Now Menace.
A. third factor in the atabfi.zinf
Of prfces fyns been the inser6 iifes
1 purchase OF supplies. This was pure
fy a. voluntary arrangement Entsret
into by the Unftsd states, England
France and Italy. and IL already has
| virtually ceased 70 function. due IL
a disposition on part Of the European
/ countries 10 buy on their own hook
; saw that the reteaEe OF shippiDa
has made more distant bat cheaper
, markets accessible, Instead OF hold
! allied purchasing becomes Il Dofsn-
! .iaf rnegaee should the European
/ countries. prefting by the lesson
learned in war time. eoniblHs 10 pool
] their buying ard manipulate prices
I regardless Of the interests OF AWef-
/ fca. This would be easily psssinie
should the United States. With the
/ ,sseia Inning Of peacss heGofn6 an of,en
market Il would no, be possible
! should Congress enact legislation TO
z continue shs " ar ItnoG J2psFs fS''s :
troll over exports.
n, order -, :,lsstare what waAit hap
pen should ths American market be
opened 10 unrestricted buying aud ex~
| port it ~ only necessary 10 r&tBsn.hsr
stat there Is al actual. aSd very
aseat world shortage Of food and
that most ss the psSpas wDo are nf}-
Gerfsa have Or can get tssE Nancy 20
/ buy what they sEeS. provided Il so1rrs
Z Of supplies Is ayatEatis- This applies
/ 30 sssstay countries. especially 20 D%tr
many. rs wei. S. 80 stss aIisss ard TIE
fas4tr&is.
/ Peril Of Competitive Buying
ssyf,h Germany, ths allies a3d shs
neasta}s bidding sa3frst ets ass@f f's-F
for American kesf s;SfE aysG mutton
dairy supplies aaa ashef foods sg
! wfsSAt. EsrSs.e I. aesstsS? ssort. there
- almost No Sss3ts "a which prices
nigh. SO: sSs seat Ara tFiis eSsapetl-
.fss buying wossss afford an efpsrss4~
:saty aas tssf tssassot 70 ths f'sHf
Spectator, Of wtie.a, nsti2 pyes@n. re-
sfssstsens removed. he weiG3 likely
tAkA quick advantage
Opening Of sss American searkes 80
( cssar.tft1Te buying therefore ao3ss
Gesissse peril 0ae ~ sis&t prices fszas
ia. fesceks 50 ;;5gzs taAt st3e peer 8ssl
safer bringing % 6ess4ss ~. ssiss
sSssa&r wages an9 a;se GsSz21ra g zatSot3
/ If 5rss4ssrg. The est2@s ~ fsz&s Amer
aes snay ase 50 drained of tooSssssstas
sssas tsss eassafry. ft@ra batrsa = lard
f. ef plenty may beessfzs 3&sss Hf
sa., 50 sosY as :a1g exports 2. tso2
ss9s+s are ssssssrsa 50 Ye licensed sF
ge va. Ts@Se sz9sss sasess e=91f h ssb
ta-a fys prevented stps;s arsssH2 &aFA
sss sacss 81 sns law snGsy which sszs
sSax Trade Board aess. saes& wsgi ~
nc authority z@y'WnsyH 10 asSs.ss s6@s
s,ae9s.ss feed VIII f,s retained he tt.ss
eQssxsey fer fSs Requirements 81 st5%
&saer.ean kao11e There IS SINGS
sssaaessr.lsyss agreement aarsHg s%SG
se-ss3rsssSSss sss4r tAs 2ErsssEs9 -
y)<grxs sEscss2S sss e7ss5s-sss& safI sEs
ss4Es, tSss+ sass-s ~as-ss zeg.,Sy . ~ 91zF9
tsssssa.ass q: ssz-sJ approaches aorFsSss
Eeaysr's Views en- Record
M.. fseeve- &raa tsstsf fsssIasS =
fss. fos9 asSssssfasssr rst&%a sl@ss - g
saa. tiers wsgf bE 20 necessity -
e.Ss< cg.3Esx tt8E tsfs'Sesst E2-%@s II: f5ffss
s3aygsss ss4R 4&ss:saS2sa9s2 ssf so No.
tsss tsss goes -ss kse4a ssas tssS
believe f*e+e sssssa5ss %@ L rsIaza4sgs-
.,* sa1ess esssgs-G3 as shgYes 20 tss%Fsa5@
speculation 2s29 sJssFtssr1 1ss. SssS '~
eliminate waste 81 1ss'sstsstsess IL
4a as as9eNss A. conference II
stats ft@9e aassSa5ssrassss 5s @s4sss
fagEya iasf M2y&ss2a.af, e'es axe srs ~