Evening star., 1947-09-25
Seeks to Avoid
Special Session,
Asks Less Waste
(TertS on Page Az
BY Joseph A. Fox

President Truman today
launched a national food-con-
servation drive in what he de-
scribed as stop-gap step to
meet a minimum foreign needs
and at the same time relieve the
upward pressure of prices at
home"
Announcing the creation of a.
committee to direct the program
headed by Charles Luckman, presi- |
dent of Lever Bros, of Cambridge, /
Mass, Mr.. Truman told news con-
ference he was trying to work out a
program to avoid an extra session of
Congress.
But he said his mind was not
closed on the question of bringing
Congress back before the January
convening date if that was neces-
sary.
He made it clear this whole field
of action to be taken would be sur
veyed at the bipartisan congress
sional conference he has called at
the White House for Monday morn !
ing.
Asks People to Waste Less.
Are you advocating that the
American people eat less?" the
President was asked. He responded
that he was asking the people to
waste less to meet what he empha-
sized in a statement is "a critical
situation calling for immediate ac-
ton by every American"
The President took this action on
the basis of report from his Cabinet
Food Committee-submitted earlier
in the week-Which said that ad-I
verse weather conditions, which have
brought about lowered corn crop
and resulted in feeding grain to
cattle, have cut the American export
surplus more than 100000 bushels
below last years level.
In his statement on food, the Pres
ident said he was asking the new
Citizens Food Committee to meet as
quickly as possible to develop new
conservation program.
CciCCuFC DuyihS OiSCu.
while waiting for detailed recon-
mendations from the citizens COM
mittee," the President said, there
is one immediate and personal thing
each Ct us can do. We can start
now to conserve by being more
selectfve in foods we buy, particu-
larly livestock products whose pro-
duction require large quantities of
grain. Such action on our part will
do two things. We will save on our
family budget and we will help
others who are in desperate need"
Asked if there was any thought
of a return to gray bread" used
last year during the grain shortage,
meatless days or possible re-institu-
ton of the wartime rationing pro-
gram. the President said he would
have to await the recommendations
Of his new committee.
He expressed confidence that the
American people would cooperate.
Gets Marshall Plan Report.
Along with the food report, the
President announced he had re-,
ceived the official report of the
Committee on European Economic
Cooperation, prepared by the 16
nations meeting in Paris on the
Marshall plan. He said these find
ingS also would be presented to mis-
conference with congressional lead
ers Monday morning so they may
discuss plans for determining the
action to be taken by the United
States to aid in preserving the sta
bility and promote the recovery of
the nations participating"
He said also that there will be
further consultation with repre-
sentatives of the European COM
mittee for clarif1cation of this ini-
tial report in which they asked that
the United States finance their
economy to the extent of $780,
100000 over the next four years
while they themselves seek to bolster
production.
Other Committee Members.
Other members of the Citizens
Food Committee are: Mrs j. L.
Blair-Buck, president of the General
Federation of Women's Clubs; Harry
A. Bulls, president, General Mills,
Inc; Chester c. Davis, president,
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis;
Albert S. GoSs, master of the
National Grange; Lester B. Granger,
executive secretary, National Urban
League; William Green, president
of the AFL; James S. KnowlSon,
president, Stewart-Warner Corp;
Herbert H. Lehman. c. R. LIE Sau-
Sec EO0n pace AsN