Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-08-17
WheatDlrectorB Barnes
On Food Outlook

letter OF August 6.
The responses received from MANY
of the editors addressed indicate a
sincere desire to better understand
the wheat problem, which for this
year is one of national policy and
national interest. Therefore, l am
encouraged to add this note on cur
rent developments since my last let
ter.
The government crop report is
sued on August s confirmed nv
worst fears, showing a fall from the
high prospect of 1,236.O00,00O BUSH
els. June l, to 940,000,00 bushels
prospect, as Of August l. in the
United States. Knowing that Cam
ada has suffered a similar deteriora-
ton, 1t is evident that the expected
surplus of North American wheat
has been cut in two.
"A survey of the bread grain crops
or Europe and of Europe's mimi
mum consumption requirements,
with the most favorable estimate
Justified of the surplus available
from the United States, Canada. Ar
gentina and Australia, indicates a
most discomforting margin. I'm
quesuonably, the supply and de-
mand situation of the world il
such that the American guarantee
price is certainly not above a world
level.
l have been in accord with those
who felt that if the guarantee main
tanned wheat prices above the world
value of wheat, then that measure
OF imitation should be charged
against the national treasury as a
war expenditure and not assessed
upon the consumer. In view of the
disappointing shinkage in the bread
grain crop of the world, and par
tlcularly in America, that is no
longer practical question The
American people, when they an
preclate this, will, l conceive, accent
II phllosophically and pay their self
respecting way to still another har-
vest, confident, as l am, that be-
lore then the weapons Of war in
Europe will become instruments of
production and thus reduce the call
on American food.
The wheat director has had
party of crop experts in Europe for
three months. Travelling by auto
mobile 5000 miles from Paris.
across Austria, Serbia Roumania.
INTO Russia, back through Poland,
Czecho- Slovakia, Hungary. Ger
many, Belgium and northern
France, in that entire distance, only
once, when their machine was mired
for three hours in the lowlands of
a river bank, did they have anv
trouble whatever, although several
times they crossed railroad bridges
which had been replanked to serve
wagon travel as well. Our con-
ciusion is that in many sections of
Europe 80 per cent of the normal
crop acreage has been put in against
tremendous difficulties, and probably
the average in Europe is about rs
per cent, in spite of lack of man
power, implements and horses-a
most reassuring commentary on the
normal desire of mankind to work
and to produce. In some sections
TODD is ample, but distribution to
the congested centers is broken not
only by railroad and water transport
disorganization, but also by the
political obstruction, still perpetual
ted by racial antagonism. The
showing is very hopeful and another
year of peace will put these people
lar on the road to complete self-sup-
port.
@Ai Sdudliy dStOulSulHR QeVelOD-
ment at home lies in our own -four
consumption. Our pre-war normal
consumption was 235 pounds per
capita per annum, which by the
way is lower than in most conn
tries of Europe. During the crop
year just ended our flour consump-
ton in America is no higher than
III pounds per capita. We are
forced to the rpncIuCion
better spending power in our people.
they have gone to the more ex-
pensive foods, probably meats. The
annual food bill of America is cal
culated at $4,000, 100000. A
restoration of our normal -four con-
sumption to 235 pounds, and a dis
placement thereby of the higher
priced foods, would save our people
fully $1,000, 100000.
rood substitution during the war
accomplished much, guided by the
response of war conscience. Is it
possible to use the newly trained So
cal conscience and secure not only
reVersiOn to our normal cereal con-
sumption, but perhaps an increase?
by thus reducing the strain on other
foods and thereby naturally easing
the price which excessive demand
has made, a saving in the food bill
would reach beyond the actual diff
ference in cost between meats and
cereals
For that section Of the public that
proposes outright subsidy there is
only the reply that the act estab-
fishing the wheat director office did
not contemplate nor authorize de-
llberate subsidy of food and that
thelr policy can not be embarked
upon without the unequivocal di-
rection of congress-
do not wish to burden you with
statistics or Information. but this
office will be glad to answer, to the
best of its information, any ques-
ton as to crops, consumption, stocks
or any phase that furthers the bet
ter public comprehension of the
wheat problem.