Evening star., 1946-04-27
Wheat Seizure
To Meet Export
|NeedForecdst
Requisitioning Grain
In Elevators Appears
ONLY Course Open
BY the lssocioted Press

UIOdQ, may move III
and take part of the wheat now
held by mills and elevators.
The grain obtained in this way
would be used to help meet famine
relief promises until greater guam
titles can be bought directly from
farmers.
The action appears to be the only
course open to the Government if it
is to keep its exports during the
next few critical weeks from falling
far short of urgent overseas needs.
A decision thus to requisition part
of the wheat remaining in COM
channels may be made to-
day by Secretary of Agriculture
Anderson. Mr.. Anderson was due
back at his Office after a visit
to Minnesota and North Dakota,
where he and UNRRA Director Gen.
eral La Guardia appealed personally
to farmers to sell their remaining
beloW-normal supplies to the Gov
ernment for shipment to famine
areas.
This farm wheat, however, will re-
quire several weeks to reach port
in any great amount, hence the
possibility of quicker action.
First Hint From Acheson.
The first open hint of the possible
form any further action might take
came from State Department news
conference yesterday.
Discussing the food situation with
reporters, Acting Secretary of State
Acheson said he believed much more
drastic steps must be taken to get
wheat and flour for the destitute
overseas.
Asked what might be done, he
replied. there is no great mystery
about it.
If you want to get wheat and
flour. Mr.. Acheson said, what you
have to do is to go and take wheat
or flour. There are various ways
to do that, he added, including the
possibility of rationing.
Nearly all other Government off,
clals, however, have emphasized
that there is not enough time to
IIiaugurate ratlOnlng.
But the Government does have the
power to requisition supplies. 1t
used that power during the war
and still is using ito obtain food
for the armed services and for ex.
port.
Requisition Would Fill Gap.
While no comment was forthcom-
ing from the Agriculture Depart
ment in the absence of Mr.. Ander-
son, his aides discounted any possi-
5ility of Government seizure of farm
stocks under requisitioning powers.
They expressed confidence that
the Governments offer of 3O-cents-
a-bushel bonus in time will pull
from the farms large part of the
wheat still remaining there. They
said, however. that some marketing
may be delayed a few weeks because
OF the press of spring planting op-
erations.
Requisitioning of commercial sup
plies could we'll fill part of the ex-
port gap.
While far below normal, sup
plies in commercial channels have
been estimated as enough to meet
curtalled domestic needs until July
l, when the new crop will become
available.
Should the Government take a
part of these stocks, it undoubtedly
would plan to replace them shortly,
at least in part, from supplies OBJ
tanned from farms. providing farm
sales were adequate to meet export
needs and still leave q slight mar
gin.
Fewer Baby Chicks Likely.
However, should farm sales be in
adequate, supplies available for do
mestic consumption would suffer
and flour production for domestic
use in that case would not be suf-
flcient to maintain the IS per cent
distribution level ordered by the
Government last week.
Another step which the Govern
ment may take to curtail the use Of
wheat is an order requiring COM
mercial hatcheries to produce fewer
baby chicks.
The Agriculture Department Is
known to feel that there are too
many chickens on farms in rela-
ton to the short grain supply.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Com
merce Wallace, chairman of the
emergency food collection" an
nounced that its foreign relief pro-
gram would proceed as planned,
including food collections start
ing May IL.
Mr.. LaGuardia had told report
ers in Fargo, N. D., Thursday night
that the campaign was being de
ferred pending further study" be-
cause the proposed collection of
food bought at retail as IAN un-
economic method" of attacking the
hunger problem.
To Proceed With Program.
Mr.. Wallace issued a statement
last night announcing he had asked
the voluntary agencies for foreign
relief which were accredited by the
Presidents War Relief Control
Board to Cooperate in carrying
out the previously announced
emergency relief collection pro-
gram"
The purpose of the program, he
said, was to permit the American
people to express their generosity
through personal gifts as well as
through food conservation efforts"
contributions may be made either
in cash or in food canned in tin,"
Mr. Wallace reiterated. "Contribu-
tions in canned foods are welcome,
particularly when consumers already
have such food available in their
homes"
Mr.. Wallace added, however, tfor
the benefit of those who would have
to buy food to contribute" that
much more food can be obtained
if cash is contributed, because the
food can then be procured wholesale
and without additional expenditures
for collecting, packaging and trans
porting individual cans"
! Cash contributions, he said, may
be sent to THE Foreign Relief Col.