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our allies represent one fourth or more of the estimated food 

 production of 1943. A considerable proportion of the addi- 

 tional food requirements represented by Secretary Wickard's 

 estimate will go for Lend-Lease and not to our own military 

 forces, and represents a net addition of fifteen to twenty per 

 cent. Our Lend-Lease commitments are equivalent to in- 

 creasing our 136 million consumers to 155 or 160 million. 



Since a certain amount of food is required for body main- 

 tenance, growth, and physical effort, none of these new de- 

 mands can be met by reducing civilian consumption unless 

 it is assumed that in the past we have eaten too much. 



The plans for such large exports of food raise many prob- 

 lems. How much food will be exported? For how long a pe- 

 riod will these shipments continue? To whom will the food 

 be sent? Is the objective the improvement of diets or the 

 prevention of starvation? What types of food can be ex- 

 ported? What effect will the program have on civilians? 

 Though these and other questions cannot be answered at 

 present, all indications are that large amounts of food will 

 be required for an extended period of time. One of the ques- 

 tions that can be examined at the present time is possible 

 sources of additional food supplies. 



Where Can We Get Additional Food? 



There are at least four sources of additional food for Lend- 

 Lease and rehabilitation : 



1. increased production; 



2. present stocks of grain and animals; 



3. reduction in civilian consumption of livestock products with no 



change in their production; 



4. a curtailment in the production of livestock. 



We Cannot Increase Production 



There is practically no hope of feeding additional people 

 under Lend-Lease or rehabilitation solely from increased 



