Evening star., 1942-12-28
0PA SET 10 Bar
Run on Rationed
Canned Goods
Sales Of 200 Food
Items to Be Made by
Coupon in February
BY ALFRED TOOMBS.

government O1ncldlS were pre-
pared today to take stern meas
ures should any run develop on
canned, dried and frozen foods
in the wake of yesterdays an
nouncement of the forthcoming
rationing of these commodities.
The appeal directed to the Amer
ican people by high officials yester-
day to avoid any panic in buying
these items is backed up by the
power to limit or halt sales of these
proceSsed foods, it was pointed out
There will be almost as much to eat
under the program as in normal
times, 1t was pointed out.
A high official pointed out that
the Office of Price Administration
has an ace up its sleeve to stop
panic buying, should it follow. Any
limitation or stoppage of sales
would work hardship on most peo-
pie and will be avoided if possible.
The announcement of the COM
ing rationing of processed foods was
made to the Nation yesterday by
Price Administrator Leon Hender-
son, in special statement, and by
Food Administrator Claude Wickard
and Office of War Information Chief
Elmer Davis, in an extraordinary
broadcast.
Mr.. Wickard and Mr.. Davis took
the air on all networks at pm
an hour when it is believed that
most people are near their radios
to explain the details of the food
rationing program.
They took this step in an effort
to make the people understand the
reasons for food rationing and to
appeal to all consumers to play
fair in making purchases until ra-
tioning can be started.
: More Than 200 Items Listed.
More than 200 items of canned,
dried and frozen foods are included
on the ration list-and to these
products will be added meat, at a
later date.
These food items will be rationed
with War Ration Book No. 2. The
date on which rationing will stare
will depend on the time at which
the distribution of 15o,0O0,000 of
these books is completed.
The OPA hopes that the distri-
button job will be completed some
time between January 20 and Feb
ruary 1-although other officials
feel that it may be the middle part
of February before the food ra-
tioning can be started.
In the meantime, American citi-
zens were put on their honor not
to hoard the items which are to be
rationed. The official statements
yesterday emphasized that such
boarding would not only be un-
patriotic-but futile, since all excess
stocks will be deducted from con-
sumers' allowances when ration
books are issued
Too Big a Secret to Keep.
The officials explained that they
were announcing the rationing pro-
gram far in advance because they
realized that it would be too big a
secret to keep 1t will be necessary
TO train million and a half volun-
teer workers and to instruct thou
sands Of grocers on details of the
plan.
Rather than let rumors about the
rationing leak out it was decided to
take the people into the Govern
ment's confidence. The decision to
follow this course was backed up by
the knowledge that the OPA had
power to halt panic buying.
The OPA does not intend to
freeze" sales of canned goods in
retail stores until a short time be-
fore the rationing starts. This will
give grocers few days in which to
prepare for the program. To halt
sales for a long period would cut
most people off from a major part
of their food supplies, it was felt.
The point rationing system will be
used to handle the distribution of
food. Consumers will be allowed a
certain number of points for speci-
fed periods. These points will allow
them to purchase small quantities
of scarce food items or large quanti-
ties of plentiful commodities.
Mr.. Wickard said that the average
person would receive about 33
pounds of canned, frozen or dried
fruits a year under rationing. This
compares with an average of about
46 pound year which was the ma
tional average between 1887 and
1941.
This represents cut of about one
third of current use-but actually.
the average diet will not be affected
this much.
1t was explained that food con-
sumption in the 1874 period was
higher than normal. Most people
in these prosperous times were in
cllned to be wasteful-and with
more careful use of food, there will
be nearly as much to eat as in
normal times.
Mr.. Wickard, in his radio talk,
(See RATIONING, Page A-5D