Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1918 — FOOD CONTROL MEANS VICTORY [ARTICLE]

FOOD CONTROL MEANS VICTORY

European Shortage Places Problem Before American Government —Farsighted Policy Adopted. NEED 75,000,000 BU. WHEAT. Food Administration Asks Aid of Every American in Gigantic Task of Feeding Millions. It is the food problem over there that makes a food problem over here. If we wished to be supremely selfish—and supremely shortsighted—we could go on eating as much as we like and whatever we like, without much difficulty or interruption —at least, until the Germans came! But we are not doing things in that selfish and suicidal way. We are trying to make a great common pool of all of our food, and all of the food of the allies, and all of the food we can get from South American and other neutrals, and dividing it up fairly among America, England, France, Belgium and Italy. This does not mean that ail of the people in the great pool are going to have the same ration, but means that we are trying to arrange to have enough for everybody, so that the soldiers—our soldiers and their soldiers—will be well fed, as they have to be to fight hard and continuously, and that the munitions workers and the workers in all the other necessary industries, and the men and women at home will all hare enough to keep alive and well. It is absolutely necessary to do this if the war is to be won, and we are going to do it, but it means planning, working, arranging, co-oper-ating, being careful, not wasting, saving. And it means that each and every one of us has got to help. Now, we have enough and more than enough food for ourselves, and the Government la going to see to it that we keep here at home a sufficient sup ply of every essential kind of food to support our people. But over there they simply have not enough. Lord Rhondda, the English food controller, recently cabled the American food administrator, that unless we can send the allies before the next uropean harvest 75,000,000 bushels of wheat in addition to what had been sent up te January 1 of this year he could not assure the people of the allies that they would have a sufficient supply of food to carry on the war. He did not say anything in this cable about the other food necessary, but be has told of these needs tn other cables —and by his actions in England. For example, his latest regulation compels a reduction of meat eating in the United Kingdom to a maximum of one pound per week per person, th It pound including the bone and other waste parts In the meat as bought in the shop. The allies must have more wheat, more meat, more fats, more dairy products, more sugar. Their barvests were very short —France had less than hall her normal crop of -wheat —and tha available shipping is small in amount and constantly being lessened by submarines, so that it is now practically Impossible to use any ships for the long voyage necessary to bring food from Australia and other remote markets. The food must come chiefly from America. In specific figures it Is necessary for us to send to the allies 1,100,000 tons of foodstuffs a month. This Is a groat responsibility and • great problem. The food must ba found, and also the ships to carry It It Is being done, but can only continu* to be done by the help and full co operation of all of us over our broad land. We must produce and save more. To supply the wheat necessary until the next harvest, we must reduce our consumption by from one-fourth to one-third; we must cut down our usual average consumption of meats and fats by from 10 to 15 per cent and dairy products by about 10 per cent Over there they are tightening their belts and doing everything they can. They are eating war bread; they are cutting down their sugar in England to two pounds per person per month, an d in France and Italy to one poundhow much are you eating?—and they are using ration cards for most of the staples. We must meet sacrifice with sacrifice. If we don't, we are helping to lose the war instead of helping to win it.