Evening star., 1946-04-17
Trun1anSuggests
SkimpyU.S.Diet
2DaysaWeek
Reduction of 10 Pct.
In Weight of Bread
To Be Ordered
(Picture on Page A-3.)

President Truman said today
eat too much and
suggested it might be a good idea
for them to try reducing their
food consumption to low Euro
pean standards for two days a
week, and thus understand what
it meant to be short of food.
Mr.. Truman's observation-which
came as Government officials put
the finishing touches on an order
making it mandatory for the Ma
tons bakers to reduce bread loaf
weight by 10 per cent-was prompted
by a news conference questioner
who wanted to know what he
thought about a proposal to diet
one day week.
UNRRA officials have estimated
the present European diet at about
one-third of the United States
standard. The daily American diet
averages about $500 calories per
person, UNRRA said, while that in
Europe ranges from 1,500 calories
to as low as 300 in some areas.
In reply to another question, Mr..
Truman said Herbert H. Lehman,
former UNRRA director general,
was wrong when he told a
food rally in Constitution Hall
lest night the administration was
not doing all it could to avert a
worldwide famine. The President
added that Mr.. Lehman's heart was
very much in the question of feed
ing Europe and that he was glad
it was.
Approves Cut in Flour Use.
The President also stated that he
approved the proposed Is per cent
reduction in flour consumption also
under study by Agriculture Depart
ment officials.
Disclosure Of the proposal to
make mandatory the proposal of the
Presidents Famine Emergency
Committee for reducing weight Of
bread loaves served to underscore
a growing feeling outside Govern
ment> that voluntary measures will
not meet the needs for food relief
abroad.
Mr.. Lehman's criticism of the ad-
ministration's handling of the prob
lem came in speech in which he
renewed his appeal for consumer
rationing.
Meat Supplies Down.
In this connection, the Agricul-
ture Department also disclosed that
civilian meat supplies are dropping
and the per capita civilian supply
for April, May and June will be at
the annual rate of 1872 pounds as
compared with the 147-pound rate
available during the first three
months of this year.
Total available supplies during the
second quarter were estimated at
666, ,400, 900 pounds less than in the
first quarter of this year.
Washington citizens who attend
ed last nights rally were chal-
lenged to do their lest to make
the Governments food conserva-
ton program work and thus share
in the Nations responsibility to help
avert SCdIVaClOn ABROAD.
Some Favor Rationing.
Some residents, it developed, are
willing-and anxious-for a return
to food rationing, if it would help
|get food to famine stricken coun-
tries of Europe and the Far East.
An overwhelming majority of the
more than 1000 persons who heard
addresses by four speakers rose to
their feet when asked to vote on
proposal from the audience that the
Government order resumption of
wartime rationing.
The keynote was sounded by
Rabbi Norman Gerstenfeld of the
Washington Hebrew Congregation
and representative of the Commits
sioners' Food Conservation Com
mittee, when he declared that if the
true alternatives were presented to
the people, they would say to the
President, Use your emergency
powers to help alleviate famine"
First apologizing to Secretary Of
Agriculture Anderson, the opening
speaker. for some of the things he
was about to say, Mr.. Lehman then
launched into his criticisms of the
administration.
Il entirely disagree with its views
that the United States should COM
NIT only 100000 tons of grain per
month in order to meet the world
crisis" Mr.. Lehman declared. And
I strongly disagree with it's view that
the crisis will be over in 80 days.
Such a policy is a gamble with the
(See FOOD, Page AID