244 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



and, second, meats and fats — that is, in 

 all bread and cereals, beef, pork, poultry, 

 dairy, and vegetable-oil products. The 

 average consumption of our people of 

 breadstuff's amounts to about six pounds 

 per week and of meats and fats to four 

 pounds a week for each person. A re- 

 duction in consumption of less than one- 

 half pound per week per person in each 

 of these two great groups of foods would 

 accomplish our purpose. 



We wish to emphasize, however, that 

 we do not zuant curtailment in the use of 

 milk for children. 



GREATER SIMPLICITY OF LIVING A 

 NATIONAL NECESSITY 



Some of our homes, by reason of lim- 

 ited income, cannot now provide more 

 food than they should have to maintain 

 health in the family. They cannot right- 

 fully be asked to make the suggested re- 

 duction in consumption. But the great 

 majority of our homes can do more than 

 suggested. 



We need even greater simplicity of 

 living than last year among all that sec- 

 tion of the community to whom food- 

 stuffs are a secondary item in expendi- 

 ture. 



We estimate that nearly 9,000,000 peo- 

 ple eat at our public eating places — hotels, 

 restaurants, boarding houses, clubs, din- 

 ing cars, and so forth. The food con- 

 sumption in these places is larger than in 

 the average homes. We are asking the 

 proprietors and employees of these insti- 

 tutions to undertake in many particulars 

 a more strict program than last year, and 



we are confident that they will willingly 

 do this. 



NOT RATIONING, BUT PATRIOTIC 

 COOPERATION 



This is not rationing — a thing we will 

 never have if our people continue to sup- 

 port us as in the past. We are simply 

 making an appeal to the intelligence in 

 the homes and public eating places of 

 America to work out for themselves the 

 means and manner of saving. 



This year, as last, I believe we can ac- 

 complish the necessary ends by voluntary 

 action of our own people. The willing- 

 ness to assume individual responsibility 

 in this matter by the vast majority is one 

 of the greatest proofs of the character 

 and idealism of our people, and I feel it 

 can be constantly relied upon. Our sim- 

 ple formula for this year is to further 

 reduce consumption and waste of all 

 food. 



We have so arranged the international 

 food program that, except for a moderate 

 substitution of other cereals in bread, it 

 will not, we hope, be necessary to sub- 

 stitute one foodstuff for another, nor to 

 resort to wheatless and meatless days. 

 What we need is to reduce directly our 

 consumption of all foodstuffs, laying es- 

 pecial emphasis on the staples. The Al- 

 lies are in need of all the surplus of the 

 great staples that we can provide. 



It is necessary that every family in the 

 United States study its food budget and 

 food ways to see if it cannot buy less, 

 serve less, return nothing to the kitchen, 

 and practice the gospel of the clean plate. 



OUR GEOGRAPHIC MILITARY HOSPITAL WARDS 



The need for increasing the number of National Geographic Society Wards in 

 the American Military Hospital, No. 1, at Neuilly, Paris, described on a following 

 page, is well worthy of your attention. 



