Evening star., 1942-04-09
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henri.

Ano Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
The workman's dinner pail may soor
disappear in defense industries.
DR.. M. L. Wilson, former Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture, who is direct
ing the Governments nutrition pro-
gram. revealed this week that Nation
wide campaign will be launched in the
next few weeks to improve specifically
the food of labor.
1t will depend largely, he said, on a
plan, details of which now are being
worked out, to enable employees to buy
foods rich in vitamins and minerals in
every defense factory. At the same time
an intensive educational campaign will
be undertaken through labor unions.
The defense worker. often pushed at
breakneck speed, DR.. Wilson believes,
constitutes the most vital element Of the
civilian population TO be properly fed,
1t will be easier to control his diet
through the factory than through the
home.
At the same time, DR.. Wilson points
out, there is no disposition to regiment
eating. The national committee, he
says, has recognized from the start that
food habits can be changed only -
prolonged educational campaign, for
which there is no time Defense work.
ers, drawn from almost every nation
ality, have different tastes to which they
will doggedly adhere. To provide menus
to their liking is one of the major prob
lens now being worked out.
DR.. Wilson and his colleagues are
drawing heavily on the experience in
England, especially in their campaign
for vitamin- fortified bread. There has
been concerted movement, he says, to
boost the value of whole-wheat bread
with which there is complete agree
ment. But, he stresses, 1t was found
impossible to get folks to eat much
whole wheat bread in the last war and
the British were obliged to give up the
idea in this war.
From the first" he says, I'VE have dis
paired of changing food habits built up
from childhood. People either like
something or they do not. At the same
time we want to stop, so far as possible,
Americans feeding themselves with
vitamin preparations. These should be
reserved for physicians orders"
Nna - tLo he
says. is a law recently passed by the
South Carolina Legislature, which goes
into effect next month, requiring that
white bread sold in the State be fortified
with vitamins and iron. He expects
that other States soon will follow this
example. This can be done everywhere
at the discretion of bakers.
The biggest world wheat surplus on
record-and scant bread for the hungry
over large part of the earth-is seen
this year by Department of Agriculture
experts.
The United States, Canada, Argentina
and Australia have come through the
winter with bulging storehouses. They
are expected to have about 1,4l5, 900 900
bushels in storage on July 1-about
300 900 900 more than ever has been
known before. Both Russia and China
are believed to have emerged with a
can have little on hand.
This can mean only one thing-that
there is a growing congestion of stor-
age facilities in the four major exporting
countries and serious bread shortage
in continental Europe. Imports to the
continent have been far below average
and insufficient to cover current needs.
At the same time banner crop year
for the big wheat-growing countries is
predicted. 1t may be only slightly less
than 4,000,000 900 bushels, approximately
the 1941 crop, because all the countries
except Canada are likely deliberately to
cut down their production. There is no
need of increasing stocks in idle storage
But Europe faces dismal crop year,
such reports as have trickled through
indicate. Movement of troops last fall
made very difficult the sowing of winter
wheat. Weather almost everywhere
except in Great Britain, was unfavorable
for the sprouting grain and the winter
has been exceptionally severe.
Weather over most of the continent
now is reported mild and sowing of
spring wheat should soon be under way.
Doubtless every effort will be made to
plant large acreage.
Reports reaching the Department of
Agriculture are that an exceptionally
severe and early winter cut down Sc
verely the expected crop in the Danube
basin. Farmers in France were directed
to seed about 12,500,000 acres, or the
equivalent of the amount seeded in 1887
49, but no reports on actual planting in
either France or Germany are available
The Greek crop is expected to drop from
100000 to about 11,000,000 bushels.
They have reports that in occupied
areas of Russia seeding has been greatly
restricted, but strenuous efforts are be-
ing made to increase acreages to the
eastward. Spring seeding has already
started, much earlier than usual
In both Australia and Argentina
preparations for the wheat crop are
under way and some reduction, because
of already bulging storehouses, is ex-
pected in both countries. In Argentina,
however, it has been dificult to find any
other use for the land. Australia, it is
believed, will follow the lead of the
United States and pay farmers to cut