Evening star., 1942-12-28
BY the Associated Press.
FOLLOWING is the tert OF Secre-
tdry Of Agriculture Wickard's
radio address last night:

OtLUU1Vy IS sHC LeIL " oCCfb~
tnry OF Agriculture Wickard's
radio address last night:
Tonight I want to talk about the
Nations food supply. The way we
manage our food supply will have
lot to do with how soon we win
this war. Food is weapon--a most
powerful weapon. And the food We
consume here at home is just as
much material Of war as the food
we send abroad to our soldiers and
fighting Allies.
The American people are fortu-
nate as regards food. Our food
production resources are the great
est in the world. If we manage our
supply well-if every one of us CO.
operates fully, we will not only have
enough food to win the war; we will
have enough to give every one of
us here at home a healthful and
well-balanced diet.
What are the essentials for the
right kind OF food program? Basi-
cally, they are simple. First, we
need to produce as much of the
right kinds of food as we can
Second, we must see to it that this
food, once produced, is used where
1t will do the most good.
So far as food production is con-
cerned, We have done well-remark-
ably well. For three years in sue
cession, our farmers have broken
all previous high records. If YOU
can't buy all the butter, bacon or
beefsteak you want, it isn't the
farmers fault. He has done his
part: has done 1t in spite of many
obstacles, and is making plans to
do 1t again in 1943 The same is
also true of the food processing
industry which has likewise done
we'll in spite of obstacles.
Rationing Is Fairest Way
To Assure Food for All.
| Moreover, there are definite limits
to the amounts OF food we can pro-
duce. We have only so much good
1arm land, so many milk cows, so
many beef cattle, so many fruit
trees. Labor. steel, rubber and MANY
other materials are scarce. If We
use more of these resources for food
production, we will have less for
| our armed forces and for other war
production.
For instance. the steel that will
go into canned foods for civilians
next year will be enough to make
| 229OO medium tanks. That is some
thing to remember the next time YOU
are inconvenienced by the smaller
supply of canned goods.
! Since there ale limits on our
capacity to produce, it is doublv
important that we make sure that
the food goes to the places where
it is most needed. We cannot afford
to waste food or to give some peo-
pie more than their fair share. Even
though the total supply of food is
enough to 60 around, people in
some communities today are unable
to get their fair share of certain
kinds of food. That is why canned
fruits and vegetables will be ra-
toned, and that is why meat is
going to be rationed.
Rationing of some foods is the
best and fairest way to be sure
that every American gets enough
| to eat In such instances ration
ing is the way to get food back on
empty shelves in crowded defense
areas. 1t is a way to assure the
| health of our children. 1t is a way
to keep people strong and healthy
| for their war job 1t is way to
make food a stronger weapon for
winning the war
Won't Need to Put
Bread on Ration List.
OF course, we won't need to ration
all foods. We have so much wheat,
| for instance, that it is hard to
imagine that we ever will need to
ration bread. Rationing, in this
country, does not mean substand-
/ ard diets.
In peacetime, the price Of food
has helped set the pattern for food
distribution. When the price of
any food rose very much it was
taken out of the reach of many peo-
Pile. In peacetime, the lower in
come group did not get enough of
the protective foods. Many of the
higher income families either ate
more than they needed or wasted
part of what they bought. In terms
of health and efficiency, we weren't
getting the best out of our food sup
plies. When a family's income goes
up, there often is a tendency to
waste food
In peacetime perhaps we can af-
ford to waste some food, but in
wartime we must get the best out
of our supplies. Already We have
acted to see that food prices, along
with other prices, won't go too high.
So we do not have rationing
through higher prices. We must act
further to see that food supplies
are divided fairly, especially since
purchasing power is rising while
food prices are stable. Through ra-
tioning we must do this to safe
guard our national health and eff
cheney and morale.
When there are runs on certain
kinds of food busy housewives and
workers go to the store only to find
the store is sold out. We don't want
these workers and their families to
get too little because others get too
much. Rationing can help us avoid
these evils.
U. S. Food Is Playing
Big Role in War Strategy.
Since we are breaking all records
for production some people may
wonder why it is necessary to ration
any food. If we didn't send any
food to our soldiers or Allies our peo-
pie here at home would have more
than they could eat. But, of course
we intend to use our food as we
are using other vital resources-tc
win this war as quickly as possible
Food from the United States is
playing tremendous part in the
war strategy of the United Nations
Our fighting men must have plenty
of food-for moro tbop tboy noodoc