Evening star., 1943-11-01
Declares Subsidies
Will Be Necessary
To Assure Success

To the Congress of the Unitec
States;
Food is as important as any Other
weapon in the successful prosecu-
ton OF the war, 1t will be equally
important in rehabilitation and re-
lief IN the liberated areas. and ir
the shaping of the peace that is tc
come.
0bJectiveS of Food Program.
The first major objective of Oul
food program is to raise in the most
ef1Clent manner enough food and
the right kinds Of foods to meet our
needs. That includes: First, the
needs Of our armed forces. second
the needs Of our civilians at home.
and, third the amount required for
our shipments abroad for the es-
senual needs Of our fighting Allies
The second MAJ ior objective is to
see that the food for our civilians
At home is divided as fairly as DOS
slble among all OF the people in all
sections OF the country and that ii
Is Obtalnable at reasonable prices.
I have not been content merely
with a program for 1914 crops. l
am thinking also about the balance
Of this year, and about the earller
months of 1914 before the CrOrs are
harvested. While the question of
production for 1914 is an essential
one, We must not lose sight of the
necessity for keeping the prices OF
our present food supply a. reason
able Levels. We must see to it not
only that the prices of food 90 not
go up any further. but that the
prices Of those foods which have
gotten out Of line are actually re-
ducod.
One of the great difficulties is
that the steps necessary to attain
these two major obiectiycs some
times become inconsistent with
each other. For example. one of
the Inducements for increased pro-
duC'lon Of foods by farmers is to
see tnat they get an adequate price
for their products. Such a price is
necessary in order to get production.
How ever. if these prices are too high
the result VIII be that BY the time
tho food reaches the grocery store
or butcher shop. the housewife Will
have to pay too high a price for it.
This, in turn. may force a rise in
wages and an increase in the prices
which farmers have to pay for what
they buy On the other hand. if
the butcher shop or grocery store
gets an insufficient price from the
consumer for meat or groceries.
then the farmer in turn will get
too low a price to encourage him to
ralse as much food as we need.
In both of these cases. our produC-
tl0n and price objec,ives are not
llkclv to be achieved unless the
Government assists with cqualiZa- =
ton payments or other aid
The efforts of this administration
have consistently been directed at
this double target OF raising as
much food as possible without plac-
ing t0o great a burden on the Amer
iCan housewife in her efforts to feed
her family
In the main our efforts have been
successful In the case Of some
foods, however. the objectives have
not vet been attained New meas
ures are being taken in an effort to
attain them.
Program for 1913.
The increase OF 1000 production
curing this WaT has been far greater
than the comparable increase in
production during tho last War. #.
for example, We take tho l935-l929
average as the base Of 100 the pro-
duCtlon IN 1889 was 1906 IN 1912 II
was l26. and in l943 II Will be 1872
II We Use tho same base of 100 the
production in 1914 Wa 81, IN 1918
Il was so. ana in 1919 II was also 90
In other words, By the fourth year
ri this War-19+2-O food Droduc-
uon has increased more than twice
a. much as il did in the same period
Of the last war.
the history of the United States.
But food production for the current
wear Io43. in spite Of less favorable
weather. will exceed the 1912 pro-
du0'lon
Crops VIII be sh2hJv lower this
ear than in 1912. bur livestock will
he 50 much hi2hor than in 1912 that
The total of all food is expected to
exceed the 1912 record output by
about ; per cent This will mean
that our total farm production
crops and Ilycstock-WIll be more
than 30 per cent larger than the av-
erage annual production for tho five
wears preceding the outbreak of
the war IN 1889.
Most Of us do not realize how
much food actually is being raised
IN l943. Here are some illustrative
figures.
FittN-fve billion quarts of milk.
an increase Of ia per cent over the
I935-l939 average.
Ten billion pounds OF beef and
veal tdreSsed weight. an increase
Of 27 per cent.
One billion pounds OF lamb and
mutton 'dressed weight an in
crease Of 13 per cent.
Sixty billion eggs OmCludlnQ nom
farm, an increase of 80 per cent.
-Four billion pounds of chicken
tdresSed Weight, an increase of 63
por cent
Thirteen billion pounds of pork
(dresSod Wcightp, an increase of "a
per cent.
Three billion pounds of lard, an
increase Of 73 pcr cent.
Three billion pounds of peanuts.
an increase Of l25 per cent.
This record was established in the
face of three major handicapS
Shortage Of manpoWer, shortage of
farm machinery. and shortage of
fertilizer. This record production
for 1853 is an amazing tribute to
the patriotism, reSourccfulnesS and
ability OF the American farmer.
Much credit is also due TO the
patriotic men and women who spent
so much time and energy in planting
twenty million Victory gardens in
the United States, and helped to
meet the food requirements. It is
estimated that about eight million