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النشر الإلكتروني

Mr. Hoover.

FOOD AND FUEL.

In normal times the production and distribution of the food supply of our nation is a purely private matter. With the Food a Pub- coming of war, however, food assumes a new and lic Concern. vital relation to the organization of the country and it may prove the decisive factor in winning the war. Upon taking the position of Food Administrator, Herbert Hoover clearly outlined the needs for greater production and more careful conservation of the food supplies of the country in a statement from which the following is quoted: "The deep obligation is upon us to feed the armies and peoples associated with us in this struggle. The diversion of 40,000,000 of their men to war or war work; the additional millions of women drafted to the places of their husbands and brothers; the toll of the submarine, have all conspired to so reduce production that their harvests this autumn will fall 500,000,000 bushels of grain below their normal production. Always dependent upon import from other countries for a substantial part of their food needs, our western European allies, because of the destruction of shipping by submarine and the isolation from the normal markets by belligerent lines, are forced to a large degree upon our markets, not only as the nearest but as the only market capable of relieving their bitter necessities.

"Therefore, whereas, we exported before the war but 80,000,000 bushels of wheat per annum, this year, by Wheat. one means or another, we must find for them 225,

000,000 bushels, and this in the face of a short crop. Our best will but partly meet their needs, for even then they must reduce their bread consumption twenty-five per cent, and it will be war bread they must eat-war bread, of which a large proportion consists of other cereals.

Meat.

"Already the greater call for meat and animal products, due to the stress of war on the millions of men on the fighting line and the enhanced physical labor of populations ordinarily subsisting on lighter diets, coupled with the inadequate world supply, have compelled our allies to kill upward of 33,000,000 head of their stock animals. This is burning the candle at both ends, for they are thus stifling their annual production. Therefore, not only must we increase their supplies of meat and dairy products, but must prepare, as war

goes on, to meet an even greater demand for these necessary commodities.

"France and Italy formerly produced their own sugar, while England and Ireland imported largely from Germany. Owing to the inability of the first named to produce more The Scarthan one-third of their needs, and the necessity for city of Sugthe others to import from other markets, they all ar. must come to the West Indies for very large supplies and therefore deplete our resources.

"Because of the shortage of shipping only the most concentrated of foods, wheat, grain, beef, pork and dairy products and sugar can be sent across the seas. Fortunately we have for our own use a superabundance of foodstuffs of other kinds-the perishables, fish, corn, and other cereals-and surely our first manifest duty is to substitute for those other products which are of greater use to our fellow fighters."

Law.

The law passed by Congress under which the food administration was established is known as the food control law and has for its main purpose the control of the distribution The Food of foods, fuel, fertilizers and implements used in the Control production of food. To secure this control provision is made for licensing dealers in food stuffs, requisitioning supplies for the government for war purposes, preventing speculation in necessities, giving authority to the president to buy and sell certain commodities, fixing a minimum price for wheat, appropriating money to enable the government to buy fertilizers and sell the same to farmers, imposing severe penalties against hoarding foods, giving authority to the president to establish a fuel administration which should supervise the production, distribution and fixing of coal prices with authority to take over and operate mines.

The need for the establishment of control over fuels arises from several causes. The severe winter and late spring of last year used up completely the fuel supply which was The Fuel on hand, it being estimated that as a result of this Shortage. one factor there is a need for twenty-five per cent more coal and wood in Vermont this year than in former years. The rapid expansion of the army and navy causing a demand Four Million for coal for use in camps, munition factories and Tons of battle ships requires 4,000,000 tons of coal more Army and than the normal supply. Because of the operation Navy.

Coal for

of the selective draft law many miners have been drawn from the mines and thus there has been a labor shortage when the need for increased production was greatest. Because of the unusual traffic on the railroads due to the movement of troops, supplies for the cantonments and for the various factories engaged in producing war equipment, there has been a much greater consumption of coal by the railroads than normally. All of these factors combined caused the government to organize the fuel administration, and make it necessary that throughout the country the greatest care be taken in conserving fuel, and foresight be used in securing so far as possible supplies of coal and wood not only for this but for next year.

THE WORK OF RELIEF.

Some of the most efficient work of caring for our soldiers and sailors, in looking after their physical comfort and furnishing amusement in their hours of leisure is done by organizations independent of the army and navy, although officially recognized and commended by the government. These organizations rely for financial support upon gifts from the general public. Of most conspicuous usefulness along this line may The Red be mentioned the Red Cross, the Young Men's Cross. Christian Association and the Knights of Columbus. There is here given a statement of the work which the American Red Cross does, quoted from a pamphlet issued by that organization:

"The American Red Cross has enlisted, organized and equipped 49 hospital units made up of the finest doctors and nurses in the country, competent to Hospitals. care for 25,000 patients at one time; more than 10,000 Red Cross nurses, in addition to 3,000 on active duty, are enrolled for service as needed. It has turned over to the Army Medical Corps more than 12 hospital units which are now serving in France. One of these hospitals was bombed by a German aviator not long ago at eleven o'clock at night. Within one minute after the final explosion the doctors and nurses were at work gathering up the wounded and the surgeons operated all night to save the soldier-patients who had been twice wounded.

"It has distributed nearly half a million sweaters and other knitted garments for soldiers' use. In addition to Knitted comfort kits and many other contributions to the Goods. welfare of those in camp and active service, it has sent a Christmas gift to every man in service abroad and to hundreds of thousands of those in training at home. It has given soldiers en route to camp a hearty welcome at a thousand American railroad stations. One little town in Iowa served 1142 men with home-made apple pie in a single day, and every man got a quarter of a pie.

"It has established rest stations, infirmaries and canteens along the line of communication of the American Army in France, to care for those who drop out in case of sickness. Some of these canteens can feed a thousand soldiers an hour. It is preparing splendid recuperation camps to which men can go to keep themselves fit for fighting; it is providing recreation and cheer for convalescents in the hospitals.

Surgical Dressings and Sup

"It is helping to care for the wounded in the Great War, for your own boy in the American Army, and for his Allies. It is doing this by maintaining, in whole or part, five hospitals in France and four in England; by supplying to 3,500 military hospitals in France surgical dressings, drugs, apparatus and other needful supplies, gathered from all over the United States and held in great warehouses in France for use as needed. Thirteen million surgical dressings, hospital articles and garments have been shipped abroad by the American Red Cross since April 1, 1917.

plies.

"It has organized its Chapters in every State for Home Service to the families of American soldiers and sailors, supplementing Government grants of money by all the friendly assistance which intelligent and sympathetic workers can provide. Similarly it has appropriated One Million Dollars for relief of sick French soldiers and their families. One of the greatest services that the Red Cross can render in this war is to look after the families at home. A man will be a better fighter at the front when he knows that his family is properly cared for at home . .

"It has opened refuges and hospitals for French war orWar Or- phans and other sick and neglected children in phans. France and Belgium, and has sent doctors to care for mothers and babies so as to save the next generation for France. "It is helping to care for half a million tuberculosis victims. in France, maintaining its own sanitariums, looking out for Recon- children who have been exposed to infection, visiting and relieving the families of those who are

struction Work.

ill. There are more than half a million cases of tuberculosis in France now.

"It is helping in the tremendous task of restoring a million and a half French refugees to normal life. Four warehouses in the devastated zones are filled with food, clothing, furniture, tools and household goods of many sorts which are distributed to many families. Ruined villages are being rebuilt, farms are being tilled again, families are being reunited, because the Red Cross is there to help.

"It has gone speedily to the relief of Italy with three-quarters of a million dollars and nearly fifty carloads of needful supplies. It has carried aid to Russia and Belgium and is helping to feed and clothe the miserable remnants of the people of Serbia. It is sending more than a million dollars' worth of necessary supplies to Roumania, where soldiers' wounds have been treated with sawdust for lack of just such help."

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