THIRTY CENT BREAD 21 



present conception of co-operation as it affects the 

 food supply of the people. 



It is quite clear that, peace or war, we face the 

 stern necessity of feeding European soldiersN and 

 civilians, even though the inevitable consequence of 

 our programme means hunger at home. 



The president of the agricultural committee of the 

 Chamber of Deputies announced, March 9, that 

 France faces a deficit of 127,000,000 bushels of 

 wheat in the coming year. 



The same authority declared that the aggregate 

 deficit of wheat for the Entente Allies and European 

 neutrals was between 190,000,000 and 216,000,000. 



It is not remarkable, therefore, that the bulk of 

 the foods now demanded from us by Europe should 

 consist of our cereals. But how are we to give them 

 what we haven't got? The obvious but superficial 

 answer is, we can't! The real answer is, we can! 

 even though, according to our own authorities, we 

 already face a shortage at home. 



The crop reporting board of the Bureau of Crop 

 Estimates, Washington, D. C, reports that we had 

 less corn March i, 191 7, on our farms by 327,143,000 

 bushels than we had March i, 191 6. 



The same authority reports the quantity of wheat 

 held on our farms, March i, 1917, was only loi,- 

 365,000 bushels, whereas March i, 1916, we had 

 more than double this quantity, or 244,448,000 

 bushels. 



One year ago we also had on our farms 598,148,- 

 000 bushels of oats, whereas March i, 19 17, we had 

 only 393,985,000 bushels. 



Of wheat alone, according to officials of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, the available supply in this 



