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The Commoner
VOL. 173&. 11
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World Food Situation
A Washington dispatch, dated Oct. 26, says:
In a statement tonight reviewing the world food
situation Food Administrator Hoover said tho
fight against the submarine would be won if the
United States and Canada could stimulate pro
duction and effect economies so as to feed the
allies from this continent without sending a ship
farther afield than the American Atlantic sea
board. Ships, wheat and hogs are the great needs em
phasized by Hoover. He said deepest concern
had been caused by tho fact that in spite of high
prices this country's pork consumption had in
creased during the war until production had been
outstripped, a situation that must be changed.
"If wo discontinue exports," Mr. Hoover added,
"wo will movo the German line from France to
the Atlantic seaboard. Pork products have an
influence in this present world situation wider
than one would ordinarily attribute to them.
Tho human body must have a certain amount of
fat; we must increase production of hogs if wo
are to answer the world's craving.
"Every pound of fat is as sure of service as a
bullet, and every hog is of greater value to tho
winning of this war than a shell."
As to wheat the administrator said the allies'
deficiency of production is 196,000,000 bushels,
with imports of 577,700,000 bushels required to
maintain normal consumption. He estimated the
aggregate American, Canadian, Australian, In
dian and Argentine export surplus at 770,000,000
bushels, but pointed out. that ladk of shipping
made it necessary for this country and Canada
to bear the burden of meeting the allies' deficit.
"The problem is thus simply one of ships," h'e
said. "If ample shipping existed there would be
no need for saving or increased production of
wheat on the part of the American people. But
if' we can produce economies and stimulate pro
duction in the United States and Canada as will
enable us to feed the allies absolutely from this
continent and thus enable them to live without
sending a ship farther afield than our Atlantic
pnp.board, we can resist the submarine indefin
itely." Placing the United States wheat export sur
plus from this year's crop at 80,000,000 bush
els and Canada's at 150,000,000 bushels, Mr.
Hoover urged domestic economies to Increase
this country's surplus to 150,000,000 bushels.
"This wo could do," he said, "if our people
would eat one pound less of wheat flour per
week and one pound of corn meal instead."
.. If peace should come, Mr. Hoover continued,
largo numbers of ships would be released and
European wheat production increased. If cli
matic conditions next year are right, . he esti
mated a wheat crop in this country of one billion
bushels. For this the food control law guaran
tees a minimum price of $2 per bushei.
,"If war continues this wheat will be vitaiiy
necessary," Mr. Hoover said, "but if the war
should come to an end there will be no foreign
market for t.t least 400,000,000 bushels. The
government must then take over the wheat and
probably find a market for it at a very great -loss.
I should anticipate that the government
may lose from $300,000,000 to $500,000,000 on
this wheat guaranty if peace arrives before the
1918 harvest is marketed."
Mr. Hoover expressed the opinion that tho
fixed guarantee was unnecessary and that a rea
sonable profit guaranteed to the farmer would
have been sufficient to sitmulate production.
"However, the guaranty has been fixed," he
added. "It is an insurance against the submarine
and an estimate of what it may cost we must
leave to the future."
Turning to the meat situation the administra
tor said pork products were more vitally needed
by the allies than beef.
"In the matter of beef," he said, "the allies
can support themselves without any consequen
tial expansion of imports from the United
States."
In view of the European situation and the
.American shortage in hogs, he pointed out that
there would be a high average price for pork
products and therefore it would be to the vital
advantage of every farmer to raise "hogs, add-
"We need a keep-a-pig movement in this
country."
By preventing undue increases in forage
prices, Mr. Hoover promised that the food ad-
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SECOND LD3ERTY LOAN A GREAT
SUCCESS 0
A Washington dispatch, dated Nor. 8,
says: Tho American people again havo
given a war loan of many millions more
than was asked.
Secretary McAdoo announced that total
subscriptions to the second Liberty loan
were $4,617,532,300, a 54 per cent over-
subscription of the three billion dollars
sought. Half of the over-subscription
will be accepted, making an actual lssuo
of $3,808,766,150. There were 9,400,-
000 subscriber, ninety-nine per cent of
whom applied for bonds of $50,000 or
less, and will receive their subscriptions
in full.
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ministration would co-operate in measures to
stimulate live stock production. He also said
further production of sheep, both for meat and
particularly for wool, extensively used in uni
forms, is needed.
"Our American farmers," he added, "would
be wise to realize that for a considerable period
after the war there will be a very poor export
market for American bread grains, whereas
there will be a wide demand for animal products."
K. OP O. DENIES ANY DISPUTE
The following appeared in the Washington
Post, under date of October 9:
"A report given nation-wide circulation to the
effect that a controversy exists between the
Knights of Columbus and the Masonic fraternity
regarding work at the army camps is emphatic
ally denied by Col. P. H. Callahan, chairman of
the Knights of Columbus committee on war ac
tivities. " 'It is a mistake,' said Col. Callahan yester
day. 'The Knights of Columbus are working in
the army camps not as a lodge, but as the rep
resentatives of the Catholic people of this coun
try. We do not oppose the entrance of the
Masons or any other fraternal society into the
camps, and we shall be glad to extend to them
any courtesies or assistance within our power "
AN APPRECIATION
Liberty Loan Committee, Buffalo, N.-Y.
Hon. William Jennings Bryan,
Lincoln, Neb.
Mv dear Mr. Bryan:
Permit me to express to you my personal
thanks for your kindness in addressing our
meeting during the Liberty Loan campaign, and
for the great assistance you thereby gave us.
The success of the campaign in Buffalo came
only because of the splendid loyalty and co-operation
on the part of everyone who was asked
to help. v
I want you to know how deeply grateful we
are for your assistance.
Very sincerely yours,
WALTER. P. COOKE, Chairman.
NO: AMERICANS LOST IN TRANSIT
In a recent statement issued to correspondents
at American army headquarters in France,
General Pershing said:
"Troops and supplies are arriving in increas
ing numbers."
Thanks to the French, British and American
navies, he continued, the submarine to date had
not claimed tho life of a single American sol
dier on the troop ships bound for France. The
French officers, he said, were enthusiastic over
the character, intelligence and eagerness of the
young officers who are arriving in France to
continue their instruction, and the American
army is proud of them.
DRAFT CLASSIFICATIONS
'A Washington dispatch, dated Oct. 22, says
The five classifications into which men awaiting
draft will be divided under the new regulations
approved by President Wilson, have become pub
lic much before the time planned by the provost
marshal general's office and are hero published
It was discovered today that what was to have
remained an official secret for a week or more
-was divulged Saturday night at a dinner in New
York which Secretary Baker and Provost Mar
shal General Crowder attended.
The provost marshal general discussed tho
new regulations without intending to make pub
lic the classifications, but some members of the
New York local exemption board, thinking to
elucidate the general's speech, printed the Class
ifications on the back of thje menu card.
The classifications are as follows and show
every man registered to which class he belongs
and in what order the different classifications
will bo called to service.
CLASS I.
1. Single man without dependent relatives.
2. Married man (or widower with children) who
habitually fails to support his family. 3. Mar
ried man dependent on wife for support. 4.
Married man (or widower with children) not
usefully engaged,, family supported by income
independent of his labor. 5. Men not included
in any other description in this or other classes.
6. Unskilled laborer.
CLASS II.
1. Married man or father of motherlesschild
ren, usefully engaged but family has sufficient
income apart from his daily labor to afford rea
sonably adequate support during his absence.
2. Married man no children wife can support
herself decently and without hardship. 3.
Skilled industrial laborer engaged in necessary
industrial enterprise. 4. Skilled farm laborer
engaged in. necessary agricultural enterprise.
CLASS III.
1. Men with foster children dependent on
daily labor for support. Man w.th aged, infirm,
or invalid parents or grandparents dependent on
daily labor for support. 3. Man with brothers
or sisters incompetent to support themselves, de
pendent on daily labor for support. 4. County
or municipal officer. 5. Firemen or policemen.
6. Necessary artificers or workmen in arsenals,
armories and navy yards. 7. Necessary custom
house clerk. 8. Persons necessary in transmis
sion of mails. 9. Necessary employees in service
.of United States. 10. Highly specialized admin
istrative experts. 11. Technical or mechanical
experts in industrial enterprise. 12. Highly
specialized agricultural expert in argricultural
. bureau of state or nation. .13. Assistant or asso
ciate manager of necessary industrial enterprise.
14. Assistant or associate manager of necessary
agricultural enterprise.
CLASS IV.
1. Married man with w'fe (and) or children
(or widower with children) dependent on daily
labor for support and ho other reasonably ade
quate support available. 2. Mariners in sea ser
vice of merchants or citizens in United States.
3. Heads of necessary industrial enterprises.
4. .Heads of necessary agricultural enterprises.
CLASS V.
- 1. Officers of states or the UniteO" States. 2.
regularly or duly ordained ministers. 3. Stu
dents of divinity. 4. Persons in -military or
naval service. 5. Aliens. . 6. Al'en enemies. 7.
persons morally unfit. 8. Persons physically,
permanently or mentally unfit. 9. Licensed
pilots. '
CELEBRATES DRY VICTORY
A Washington dispatch, dated Nov. 11, says:
Secretary Daniels and Former Secretary Bryan
were speakers at a mass meeting held here to
day to celebrate the addition of the District of
Columbia to the "dry" column. "There is more
of the grape juice odor here than ever before'
Mr. Bryan said, "and I am enjoying the aroma
considerable."
Some of the war commentators find pleasure
in pointing out that when the Germans were
pushing back the Italians the kaiser's message
to his people mentioned that "me und Gott
were to be thanked, 'while In announcing the
retreat along the Chemin du Dame it was "Gott
und me." And yet the kaiser was -acting just
like most human beings do in times of prosper
ity and in times of adversity.
The fuel administrator has notified the coal
dealers that criminal prosecutions will follow
any wilful violation of the order fixing a form
ula for the computation of the price to the cor
sumer, and has Instructed state, admin's .rata
that they will be expected to pick the b g H
lows first. .
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