tenth to one-fourth of the potatoes thrown away in paring and cook¬ 
ing after they get into the kitchen represents more than enough to 
supply New York City. 
This is wasting a weapon of war. Even making allowances for 
unavoidable waste, it is estimated that we can by voluntary watch¬ 
fulness in the home save food that will more than equal the increase 
in food production of the past year. 
This waste occurs at a time when we are faced with a shortage of 
many foods. 
Although farmers have broken all production records for 4 con¬ 
secutive years and are out to break the all-time high record of 1942, 
there will not be enough food this year or for several years to satisfy 
all claimants for it. Aside from military and lend-lease demands, 
two other factors are creating a serious strain on the equitable distri¬ 
bution of our food supply: 
1. Americans have more money than there are goods to buy with 
it—and much of this is spent on food. 
2. Every new allied victory means more people to feed—at least 
until they can get back on their feet. 
So we at home face this reality-—we will have enough food for 
# good health but not all the food or the kind of food some of us may 
want. How then do we make our food do all the things it must do— 
sustain us at home as well as our fighters and allies abroad? 
By decreasing the amount set aside for war needs? That would 
seriously jeopardize our military program. By increasing farm pro¬ 
duction? That will help, but will not solve our problem. Despite 
great records for 7 straight years, and even higher goals for 1944, 
there are limits to what the farmer can do. 
The real solution lies in every American taking a number of highly 
important actions—actions which include a determination to produce 
more food; conserve food, avoid waste; preserve food, eat the right 
foods, adjust our eating habits to the available foods, share our food, 
and help keep food prices down by paying no more than legal 
prices. Of these actions the avoidance of waste is of tremendous 
importance. 
•AMERICANS MEET A NEW PROBLEM 
The days of so-called food surpluses are over, at least temporarily. 
Now we should think of our food supply as one huge basketful—the 
tallest, biggest basket of the most varied food in the world, thanks to 
the production records of our farmers. This basket is all we have, and 
there are 120,000,000 hands here at home ready to dip into it. Our 
home-front share is by far the greatest—75 percent. Our armed 
forces need 13 percent. Our allies around the globe are receiving 10 
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