Evening star., 1946-03-21
Truman Favors
Food Rations if
Vital 10 UNRRA
Hopes Resumption
Won't Be Necessary,
He Tells Press

| He Tells Press
| President Truman said today
he would not object to the re.
sumption of food rationing ir
this country if that course wa.
required to aid foreign countries
but he said that the necessity fol
this had not yet arisen and he
hoped it would not be necessary
The Presidents comment was
prompted by news conference
questioner who wanted to know how
he stood on the rationing plan
which Herbert H. Lehman, retiring
head of the United Nations Reliei
and Rehabilitation Administration
is advocating.
The President expressed regret
that Mr. Lehman is getting out but
added that the former New York
Governor had wanted to resign TO,
a long time.
Meatless meals for many families
were predicted meanwhile by Mid
western meat packer as large pack
ers reported a continued drain on
livestock supplies through pur-
chases by Eastern cattle buyers who
are reported outbidding regular
buyers.
At the same time, there was a
prospect that the Nations farms
will produce less meats, dairy and
poultry products for the next year
or more.
An Agriculture Department re-
port on farmers planting inten-
tions for this year shows that live
stock feed grains, already short
may continue below demands for a
year after this seasons crops are
harvested.
OPA Begins Probe.
Reports that heavy volume OF
cattle on Midwestern markets are
going to Eastern bidders are being
investigated by the Office of Price
Administration. A Kansas City
packer. who predicted meatless
meals will result, pointed out that a
seasonal decline in the pork mar
ket would make the meat shortage
more acute.
Unless the situation is remedied
quickly, another packing official
said, slaughtering would be halted
indefinitely. They estimated the
supply of beef may be cut 80 per
cent.
If the cattle being bought by
Eastern buyers is being slaughtered
in non-Federally inspected plants,
then Washington, which depends
heavily on meat from Federally-
inspected houses, will suffer, 1t was
pointed out here.
However, the latest report of the
departments Meat Board showed
only 3 per cent drop in meat
production under Federal inspec-
ton for the week ending March is,
as compared with a week earlier.
Production for the later period was
estimated at 257, 900 900 pounds as
against 266, 900 900 pounds for the
week ending March 9.
The present shortage of corn and
other feed supplies is forcing many
farmers to curtail production of
meat animals, poultry and dairy
products.
Bumper Wheat Crop Seen.
On the other hand, the supply of
bread grains, also far below de-
mands Of domestic consumers and
of famine-plagued areas abroad,
appears likely to be restored by
another bumper wheat crop.
Should this crop turn out as
favorably as now indicated, it might
be possible for the Government to
end its present wheat conservation
program by late summer. Thus the
edict for darker -four and bread
could be lifted without curtailing
grain shipments to hungry areas
ABROAD.
The planting survey released yes
terday had one particularly dark
spot. It indicated that the coun-
~ may COA1t1AluC W Uc SIlOTL OF
food fats and oils for possibly an
other year. Prospective acreages of
soy beans and flax seed, principal
sources of vegetable oils, are con-
siderably short of Government
goals
Army Reducing Menus.
Meanwhile, the Army, in line with
President Truman's food conserva-
ton program, announced it was cut
ting down on portions served its
troops.
The Quartermaster Corps has re-
vised its master menus to cut by
61a pounds for each vegetable the
amounts of canned asparagus,
beans, spinach and tomatoes served
to 100 men.
Mess cooks in preparing meals
for 100 men also will fix only 10
pounds Of beets instead of Is, 20
pounds Of cabbage instead of 25 and
IS pounds of potatoes instead of IS.
Bread has been cut from IS
pounds to II for each 100 men at
each meal. There are also smaller