Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-25
Wickard Warns u. 5.
OF Increased Food
Restrictions in '43
Diet to Be Adequate, but
Choice Limited, He Says
In Annual Report

Secretary of Agriculture Wick.
ard served notice today on civil.
ians that they must make
further adjustments in their
consumption habits during 1942
despite the fact well-directec
farm activity enabled agriculture
In 1912 to answer the food for
freedom" call with phenomenal
production.
Inc announcement came in Secre-
tary Wickard's annual report to the
President, in which he also warned
farmers of difficulties ahead ir
achieving food goals in l943 anc
called on civilians to accept ration
ing as part of the price of vic
tory"
No one will go hungry, the Secre-
tary and administrator of the war;
time food program promised He
pointed out that the nutrition value
of civilian food will be about the
same as in the 30s.
Undoubtedly, however, civilians
will not be able to obtain their usual
supplies of many items" Mr.. Wick
ard said. Transportation will not
be available for long hauls of some
kinds of vegetables. Other products
will be in shorter supply for civilians
because we must make larger pro-
visions for our fighters and our
Allies"
Military Needs Come First.
Mr.. Wickard explained that in
controlling food supplies the Gov
eminent acted on the principle that
military and lease-lend needs rank
FIRST.
The rationing procedure applies
only to what remains after the re-
duirements of the battle fronts have
bean met and reserves accumulated
to provision recaptured areas and
help write the peace" Mr.. Wickard
declared. "In war for survival this
Is obvious common sense. Letting
the United Nations fighters down
would let us all down-in hurry"
In his report, the agriculture head
noted that total food production,
including crops and livestock, was
10 per cent higher than in 1941,
a record year, and that overall acre
age yield during 1912 was close to
the practicable limit. Production of
livestock and dairy products also
broke all previous records, he re-
ported.
Pointing out that the demand for
food outstripped the supply during
1912, Mr.. Wickard said that this
year the gap may be wider. Mill
tary and lease-lend needs alone will
be half again as great as they were
in 1912 and these two sources will
take about one-fifth of our total
food production.
Land Resources Shrink.
'Yet farm production equal to
that of 1912 is probably the maxi
mum for which we can plan.
We don't have the land resources
for much further expansion" he
said.
The Secretary further warned
that cit will be a miracle if the
weather is as good for crops as it
was in 1912" and reminded farmers
that they would have to contend
with greater obstacles, especially
with worse shortages of labor and
machinery" and would have to do
with less fertilizer, insecticide ma
terial, bagging and other means of
production.
The farm machinery shortage has
reached point now, he said, where
1t necessitates full-scale rationing
program for the 1943 crop year.
Warning of serious and increasing
msnpower problems, Mr.. Wickard
said the outlook for farm labor in
1943 is critical" Labor shortages
are Keeping both the quantity and
quality of farm production from
being as high as it might otherwise
be, he said.
The Secretary advocated some
form of wage control" to narrow the
differential between farm and in
dustrial wages, and then commented
in his report: Letting farm labor
be drained away through competi-
tive bidding threatens failure in
the food-for- freedom drive"
Heavy Man-Day Loss.
He estimated a potential 100000
600 man-days of labor is being
wasted each year on American
farms, more than 30 per cent of
1t on some 100000 low-income
farms. Unused farm manpower will
remain largely unused for the dura-
ton unless we do something more
TO tap it"
Pointing out that our victories
must be consolidated through the
swift relief of famine. the Secretary
said that victory and peace would
temporarily increase the food re-
sponsibilities Of the United Nations
and particularly of the United
States.
He urged extension of Govern
n1ent direction Of agriculture into
the postwar period, declaring that
system of price supports, such as
is now being used to bolster pro-
duction of vital foods, and the crop
adjustment system must be re-
tanned after the war.
The Secretary reported that unity
was developing on the food front.
"Bickering over the dollars and
cents aspect of it and over group
shares in the national income is
giving way to broad acceptance of
Sterilization policies based on the
Price Sterilization Act" he said.
National interests are prevailing
over group interests and are throw
ing group struggles into the dis
card
Mr.. Wickard said that while the
United States was carrying the bulk
of the load Of supplying the Allies,
each member contributes what it
can. All were said to be pooling
their food resources, drawing upon
them so as TO save shipping, and
building stock piles in various con-
venient places.
Woollcott Funeral Plans
To Be Completed Today
Wv the Associated Press