Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1945-01-18
BEHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
MalIon

LaGuardia has been calling for
meatless days. Local rationing
boards are putting out TO their
newspapers around the country
alarming predictions OF search
ties. Some people are conclud-
ing il is Just the usual govern
ment fright. campaign to get
desired popular reaction, but
this time ii is real.
Hard as tbs may be for the
average naidleSs housewife in
the kitchen TO believe, after all
the stuff she has been hearing
about great food stockpiles in
government boarding 10 feed
the world, and large reserves
bought up by the army and
navy, the truth is we could lose
this war on the food front If
we do not have good crop
weather this spring. -"
behind the tightening con-
- ditlon is an explanation the
government is not telling,
namely that il miSmanaged its
food supplies situation last year
and is now reaping the harvest
of its mistakes.
Look at poultry. The gov
eminent last summer though 1T
was faced with an over-supply,
expected the war to be won
swiftly in France, and discour-
aged poultry raiSers from
Matching eggs. That now proves
to have been very bad judy
ment and there is a shortage
of poultry.
In hogs, the farmers were
similarly scared of an over
supply, and reduced their feeder
schedule upon government adj
vice. We are now short on
pork.
The sheep feeders ran into
cold weather at Landing time
last year, and we have a short
age Of lamb.
Beef has been handled so
Sloppily as 10 discourage pro-
duction. Last summer both the
OPA and WA tWar Food ADJ
minlstration) promised no cell
ing price would be put on cat
tie, but one is now about TO be
applied.
AN INVESTIGATOR went out
"A TO the Midwest 10 hold
hearings and reported the farm
ers were for a $3.50 ceiling.
This proved to be false. Feeder
stock had been bought for
around S18 TO put on 200 to 400
additional pounds. and a $3.50
ceiling would have meant ruina-
ton of this production process.
SO now the ceiling will be upped
10 SIS so as not 10 discourage
the production of this additional
meat.
But in order thats the price
TO the consumer not be raised,
the government is 10 pay the
packers an additional 81 per
100 pounds subsidy out of the
treasury, and the taxpayers
pocketbooks IA secret price in
crease under which those who
pay taxes actually pay a por-
ton of the price on steaks
bought by every one r-
All this retracing and self
reputation by the government
officials naturally tended to de-
moralize the cattle industry and
scare off production.
MORSE than this, the War
w Commission is threatening
10 draft farm help and the War
Production Board is cutting
down or out the ALLEGATIONS for
production of new farm machin-
cry. The local draft boards in
farm communities, however,
have shown some signs OF re-
voting against drafting more
farm help. and, frankly, doubt
that VINO orders will be
obeyed.
Indeed, there is tant
quarreling and pickering on
policy between OPA and VIA
which is somewhat democrat
izlng. and Co-ordinator WILSON'S
office is full of left-wing boys
who ways have sociology
uppermost in mind.
1t is evident then that this
new food scare has more
validity behind it than in for
mer cases, although the wrong
reasons are being offered by
the administration, naturally
enough, in order 10 cover its
old mistakes. People are eat-
ing more, they say, for in
stance. / doubt that this is
true.
THE Germans seem to have
Il captured large quantity Of
our canned goods in their Bel
gian smash, and there is some
black market seepage corrup-
ton from army supplies in
France. but il is hard TO believe
the official excuse that a SOL
der in France eats more than
in the United States. Lend
lease is taking no more. and,
indeed, our own supply situation
is preventing us from living up
TO commitments.
asked food authorities why
II is that the government has
always proved TO be wrong in
its food planning activities. The
law of averages should make il
right once in a while, even IL
they did not try. The answer
/ got was this:
AT the start Of the war, the