THE WEAPON OF FOOD 



By Herbert Hoover 



F 



"% OOD has gradually, since the war 

 began, assumed a larger place in 

 the economics, the statesmanship, 

 and the strategy of the war until it is 

 my belief that food will win this war — 

 starvation or sufficiency will in the end 

 determine the victor. 



The Allies are blockading the food 

 from Germany ; and the surrounding neu- 

 trals are under pressure to export their 

 surplus both ways and to reduce their im- 

 ports. The Germans are endeavoring to 

 starve the Allies by sinking the food 

 ships. Short production and limitation of 

 markets cumulate to under-supply, and 

 all governments are faced with reduction 

 of consumption, "stimulation of produc- 

 tion, control of prices and readjustment 

 of wages. The winning of the Avar is 

 largely a problem of who can organize 

 this weapon — food. 



THE ZONE OF SUPPLY GRADUALLY NAR- 

 ROWING 



As to our more intimate problems, to 

 effect this end, it must be obvious that the 

 diversion of millions of men to war re- 

 duces the productive labor of the Allies, 

 and in consequence the food production. 

 Also the destruction of food at sea, and 

 of still more importance, the continuous 

 destruction of snipping, has necessitated 

 the gradual retreat in area from which 

 overseas food supplies can be obtained 

 to any given country. 



Thus there has grown not only a limi- 

 tation of supplies, but an accumulation 

 in inaccessible markets. The result of 

 these cumulative forces is that North 

 America is called upon, by both Allies 

 and neutrals, for quantities of food far 

 beyond its normal export ability. 



What this tax upon our resources 

 amounts to is evident enough from the 

 fact that during the past fiscal year we 

 have increased our grain exports from 

 t 20,000,000 bushels — the three-year, pre- 

 war average — to 405,000,000 bushels. 

 This year the Allied production is re- 

 duced by 300,000,000 bushels over last 



year, and we must therefore meet a much 

 larger demand. Our exports of meat and 

 fat products have increased from pre- 

 war average of 500,000,000 pounds to 

 1,500,000,000 pounds for the last fiscal 

 year. And owing to the decrease in their 

 animal herds, the Allies will require still 

 more next year (see page 189). 



PRODUCTION MUST EL QUICKENED AS 

 WELL AS CONSUMPTION CUT DOWN 



If the extremely high prices thunder- 

 ing at every door were not a sufficient 

 demonstration, it is possible, by actual 

 figures, to prove that we have been ex- 

 porting many commodities actually be- 

 yond our capacity to produce. Taking 

 the three-year pre-war period as 100, we 

 find in pork, for instance, the number of 

 animals on hand on the 30th of June this 

 year is variously estimated at from 92 to 

 98. The slaughter of animals during the 

 year was at the rate of 179; the exports 

 were at the rate of 215, and the natural 

 consequence is that the price is at 250. 



During" the past year we have exported 

 every last ounce of which the country 

 during this period was capable of pro- 

 ducing, and our national stock of cereals 

 and animal products, proportionate to our 

 population, was at the beginning of this 

 harvest the lowest in our history, and 

 many of us have been under the keenest 

 anxiety lest we would face absolute short- 

 age. This anxious period is now happily 

 passed. 



The demand in many commodities dur- 

 ing the coming year is beyond our capac- 

 ity to furnish if we consume our normal 

 amounts. The necessity of maintenance 

 of the Allies as our first line of defense 

 and our duty to humanity in feeding the 

 neutrals demand of us that we reduce 

 our every unnecessary consumption and 

 every waste to the last degree — and even 

 then the world dependent on us must face 

 privation. (See also pages 187 and 189.) 



Ozving to the limitation of shipping, zee 

 must confine our exports to the most con- 



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