34 THE FOOD CRISIS AND AMERICANISM 



had decided they should receive less than the corn 

 fed them was worth in the market ? 



What were the conditions confronting the country 

 at date the report and circular referred to were issued ? 

 First: A corn crop that promised not to exceed 60 

 per cent, of normal in food value. Second: A hog 

 supply at least 25 per cent, to 30 per cent, below evi- 

 dent needs. Third: A proposed augmentation of 

 our fighting forces to one million or more, and an in- 

 evitable tremendously increased demand for food by 

 our Allies. Fourth : A record of extortionate profits 

 in the packing industry and other distributing agencies 

 of food stuffs. In view of the above, the Department 

 of Agriculture, and the Congressional Committees re- 

 sponsible for agricultural legislation, were not blame- 

 less in permitting such conditions to continue, especially 

 when the food situation was so critical. This simply 

 demonstrates what meager attention is paid to vital 

 matters pertaining to agriculture. 



So far as I know, the reports of every other com- 

 mission created by Federal authority have been given 

 the widest publicity, and have been seriously consid- 

 ered by a congressional committee, or similar high 

 authority. Among all my acquaintances, I have not 

 been able to find more than three or four who had seen 

 a copy of the commission's report above referred to. 

 In response to requests, both the offices of the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture and the Food Administration at 

 Washington reported they had none. Why not? 

 So far as I know, neither Congress nor any of its 

 committees have seriously considered or acted upon 

 this tremendously important report. Why not? It 



