Evening star., 1946-04-12
Food Committee Silver Spring
UrgesD.C. 10 Cut Building Hits
Wheat Use 4096 A||.Time Hiuh
Young Will Appoint
Executive Group to
Draw Up Program

Washington must consume 40 per
cent less wheat in the next 80 days
as part of Nation wide program
to get 125 100000 bushels of wheat
to starving countries before mid
July.
This was the message of Alfred
Stedman, representing President
Truman's Famine Emergency Com
mittee, to the opening meeting of
the Washington Committee on Con-
servation of Food appointed recent
ly by the Commissioners.
Mr.. Stedman told the SO members
OF the committee representing vari-
GUS civic and food organizations
that the period between now and
mid-July is the time in which many
lives are at stake.
I'VE must screw down the lid on
feeding of wheat to livestock and
check our own consumption. The
wheat stocks on the farms, in the
terminals and in the mills are the
lowest now since 1941."
Gambling on Bumper Crop.
He said the world is gambling on
a billion-bushel wheat crop in this
country for the third consecutive
year, together with the possibility
OF bumper crops elsewhere, and he
admitted there might be reason for
some optimism for improved food
conditions, should these bumper
crops occur, after they have been
harvested and processed.
This, he explained, was the rea-
son for the immediate action with
in the next 80 days.
He said the Government had been
advised that compulsory rationing
could not be instituted in time to
meet the immediate demand.
Pointing to poster developed by
the Washington Restaurant Asso-
citation which calls for consumption
of only one roll or slice of bread
at a meal, MI. Stedman said If this
were done all over the country
100000 bushels of wheat would
be saved which he estimated
would save possibly 100000 lives
Will Name Committee.
In an opening statement to the
session Commissioner John Russell
Young said that possibly the most
important objective for the com
mittee is widespread publicity -ot
the food-saving plan. Mr.. Youne
also said that he would name ar
executive committee next week tt
draw up program.
If we can just drive home the
real story of what is taking place
in other countries that have beer
devastated and which are in such
great need of food, possibly from
eyewitness accounts" Mr.. YOUNG
said, Il don't think we can fail"
He pointed to the various con.
servation drives carried on durine
the war rationing era in which, HI
said, the community "batted ovel
100 per cent
Alexander F. Jones, managing
editor of the Washington Post, alse
called for the fullest publicity fol
the food-saving program.
Declaring that starving people
will produce disorder" Eugene
Meyer, editor and publisher of tht
Post, said mAll we fought for j.
at stake on the food front now"
Reasons for Shortage.
Mr. Meyer laid the food shortage
abroad to lack of fertilizer, lack o.
manpower, discontinuance of pro.
duction implements during the wal
and their destruction in the war.
devastated countries and the weak.
ened physical condition of the starv.
ing populations.
Calling for speed in answer to the
conservation program, Mr.. Meyer
said delay dooms people to death.
Mr.. Meyers recommendation wa:
to share the wheat and fat products
t. buy and serve more plentiful
foods and to waste no food.
Formation of an executive com.
mittee to get to work on immediate
propaganda" for the food-savine
program was suggested by B. M. Nc
Kelway, president of the Board OF
Trade.
Robert j. Wilson, representing the
Restaurant Association, promised the
fullest cooperation and said that q
publication would be available with
in the next few days detailing spe-
ciflc procedure for saving the neces-
sary foods.
Hotels Voice Support.
He said the recommendations
could be followed by housewives as
well as the public food serving in
dustry.
Similar conservation support was
voiced by Arthur Harnett, repre-
senting District hotels, who said a
program of 20 suggestions for saw
ing food already has been devel-
oped and published for the hotels.
Other suggestions included using
Community Chest facilities to pre-
sent the need of food conservation
to the people through volunteer
workers. The pledge-card plan now
being employed by the community
of Greenbelt, Md, also was men
toned.
The District CIO Industrial Union
Council submitted APPOINT pro-
gram suggesting wide publicity, i'm
mediate re-establishment of food
rationing, reduction of food portions
and bread sizes with companionate
price reductions, and more adequate
steps in preventing diversion of
grains to the feeding of cattle.
Program for Veterans.
Meanwhile, the District depart
ment, Council of American Veter-
ans of World War II, announced a
campaign to enlist District veterans
support for the food conservation
program.
Wallace Lyon, commander of local
Post l, listed the following points
in its campaign:
l. Encourage veterans to buy a
basket of food each month for ship
ment overseas through UNRRA.
Q IJrpe oil r,,ey,,herc IN continue