The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-23
. After Many
Years
Less Food But II
Goes Farther
Britain Good Example
For Free America
Mr.. MseWhieesn Finds
n Isn't So Hard
BY r I. SHORT

uRITING from England. an &C
" quaintance of Mr.. Macwhig-
san makes this observations:
-For q nation that prides
Itself on It's patriotism. it,
powers of invention and mag
nation, As well rs its adapt
ability TO meet changes. you
Americans certainly make .
mess of adapting yourselves
10 changes In your habits Of
living"
Then followed some comments
On our proclamation of business
rs usual" trying to keep the horse
racing racket going at top speed
while we shut up county fairs;
xociferous declaration that there
are no shortages. and that this
rationing business is a lot of
hooey.
To which Mr.. MacWhiggan re-
plied that there are a lot of bluff
srs in America who are trying to
keep UP a front, and the talk about
-business as usual" is only case
of whistling through the grave
yard. The fellows who are thriv-
ing on the rackets, he said. are
being caught up with and are
scared half death, but as for
the majority of the substantial,
everyday sort of folks. he'll stack
them against the British any day.
Some things did come out Of
the letter, however, that are good
for us to reflect upon. England,
after a couple of years of threats
of what might happen, has had
more than two years of stiff ra-
tioning with acute shortages in
some commodities. Notwithstand-
ing this, everybody is getting
along and there is less hunger IN
Britain than ever before. Every
body is getting enough to eat be-
cause the food is more scientifi-
cally distributed. It is no longer
a case of feasting on the avenue
and starving in the gas house dis
trict the other side of the tracks.
The avenue has given up some
Injuries and the other side OF the
tracks is getting more Of the ne
cessities, most of which used to be
considered luxuries.
Though other countries have
sacrificed more because Of what
the war has done to them, there
are few countries in which greater
changes have taken place in the
manner of living. The Englishman
likes his roast beef and roast NUT
ton, hot and sliced thick. He has
learned to take his roasts cold
because when the roast comes only
once a week it can be sliced thin
ner and thus made to go farther.
And John has learned that the thin
alice serves him as well as the
thick slice did.
In millions of homes there Is
less coal in the scuttles, but the
supply is equally distributed. The
bath tubs have half the water for
merly used, but everybody keeps
clean. Tea is good without sugar
and it is no hardship to turn out
the lights at 10 o'clock to save
electricity and gas.
Our English cousins learned
long ago that the greatest folly
u to believe that human nature
will voluntarily sacrifice a COM
Portable way of living unless there
Is at least a threat Of compulsion-
30, when the Germans really MADE
things tough, hard-boiled ministers
of food, health and fuel were APP
pointed with supreme authority
The minister of food is Lord WOOL
ton. He tells every household now
much food il can have. His woro
"a final and there are no argu-
ments on his decisions.
About the middle of November
Mr.. Macwhiggan expects to see
the line drawn tighter here ana
he has been practicing to see no"
tough it might be to change some
Of our eating habits. To his sur
prise he found that 1t was not
tough at all.
He used to think two eggs were
Necessary for breakfast. He finos
one is sufficient. He used to drink
two cups of coffee with TWO
spoonsful of sugar to a cup. He
found that one cup Of coffee with
one spoon of sugar served his re-
euirements. A few days ago ne
discovered that coffee is palataoie
without sugar and that honey Is
q fine sweetening for cereals MIS-.
hacwiggan. a deft and resource
ful soul, has figured out a lot
Of tasty and nutritious dishes Tor
naestless meals. She has 10 get
along with less sugar in her COOK
ing because she was 50 honest
that the rationing board gypped
her out of her fair proportion
Of canning sugar.