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come relative to the low frozen prices of his frozen food sup- 

 plies. This difference is now very great. It does not measure 

 the shortage, but it does contribute to the "holler." Because 

 meat supplies for civilian consumption are less than the con- 

 sumer would like to buy, it does not follow that all foods are 

 scarce. 



The consumer will submit to a gradual change in his food 

 habits, but resists a sudden change. During the two decades 

 from about 1909 to 1929 the consumption of beef fell about 

 30 per cent. Each year the consumer ate one pound less of 

 beef. The change was so gradual that he hardly knew it. 



In 1943, however, the consumer is being asked to make a 

 sudden reduction of about 40 per cent in his consumption 

 of all meat. He will eat almost 60 pounds less meat than he 

 ate in 1942; he knows it and is telling others in no uncertain 

 terms. 



The consumer is irritated by any change in his food habits, 

 loathes a drastic change, resists even a small reduction in the 

 consumption of his favorite food, and cries: "Starvation!" 

 when all these things happen at the same time. This prac- 

 tically sums up the food situation and the agitation concern- 

 ing it, but does not explain how it came about. 



Who Caused the Food Shortage? 



During 1942 the nation produced the greatest amount of 

 meat, milk, and eggs in history. Yet civilians think they are 

 eating the least amount that they can remember. The ques- 

 tion that all ask is: "What became of the food?" The con- 

 sumer's "food problem" is the current shortage of meats and 

 other highly prized foods. He wants to know why he can't 

 get them in the accustomed amounts. 



There has been no lack of answers. The most frequent an- 

 swer is that the soldiers have been responsible. Lend-Lease is 

 frequently named as the guilty party. The consumer himself 



