Notes for WWI research: Louis Sheehan
FOOD GUIDE
FOR
WAR SERVICE AT HOME
PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
THE UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION
IN CO-OPERATION WITH
THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AND THE BUREAU OF EDUCATION
WITH A PREFACE BY HERBERT HOOVER
UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATOR
1918
ANNOUNCEMENT
In the spring of 1918 the Collegiate Section of the United States Food Administration was called upon to prepare a simple statement of the food situation as affected by the war, suitable for elementary and high school teachers, high-school pupils, and the general public. The demand arose because of the wide adoption of the three courses on this subject then being sent out weekly to universities, colleges, and normal schools throughout the country.
This little volume is the response to that request. It was written by Katharine Blunt, of the University of Chicago, Frances L. Swain, of the Chicago Normal School, and Florence Powdermaker, of the United States Department of Agriculture.
The records of the Food Administration have been open to the writers and they have had the advice and criticism of its officials and specialists. No effort has been spared to secure accuracy of statement in the text.
July 1, 1918.
[pg v]
PREFACE
The long war has brought hunger to Europe; some of her peoples stand constantly face to face with starvation.
All agriculture has been seriously interfered with. Food production has been lessened to the point of danger. Millions of men who had given all their time and energy to raising food have been killed; more millions are still fighting; other millions have gone from the farms into the great war-factories. Women, too, have been drafted from the fields and home gardens into the factories and to replace the absent men in a host of occupations. Great stretches of once fertile land have been temporarily ruined by the scourge of war; some are still under falling shot and shell. Belgium and France have lost millions of acres of productive land to the enemy. The fertilizers necessary for keeping up the production of the land still available are lacking.
All this means that the Allies have to rely on the outside for the maintenance of their food-supply. But because ships are fewer than they were, and because many of them must carry troops and munitions exclusively, these ships cannot be sent on voyages longer than absolutely necessary to find and bring back the needed food. They cannot afford to go the long time-consuming way to Australia and back; but few of them can be let go to India and the Argentine. They must carry food by the shortest routes. The shortest is from North America to England and France.
[pg vi]
Therefore by far the greater part of the food provided for the Allies from the outside must come from us. As a matter of fact more than 50 per cent of this outside food for the Allies does now come from North America. And that is a great deal. It is very much more than we ever sent them before. Also we are sending more and more food overseas for our own growing armies in France and our growing fleets in European waters.
To meet all this great food need in Europe—and meeting it is an imperative military necessity—we must be very careful and economical in our food use here at home. We must eat less; we must waste nothing; we must equalize the distribution of what food we may retain for ourselves; we must prevent extortion and profiteering which make prices so high that the poor cannot buy the food they actually need; and we must try to produce more food by planting more wheat and other grain, raising more cattle and swine and sheep, and making gardens everywhere.
To help the people of America do all these things, and to coordinate their efforts, the President and Congress created the United States Food Administration. The Food Administration, therefore, asks all the people to help feed the Allies that they may continue to fight, to help feed the hungry in Belgium and other starving lands that they may continue to live, and to help feed our own sailors and soldiers so that they may want nothing. It asks help, also, in its great task of preventing prices from going too high and of stabilizing them, and of keeping the flow of distribution even, so that all our people, rich and poor alike, may be able to obtain the food they need.
For all this there is needed a "food education" of all our people. Every home in our broad land must be reached. One of the most effective ways of accomplishing this is by getting [pg vii]information to the children of the nation about food and the possibilities and methods of its most wise and economical use. To obtain this result we must get this information into the hands of parents and teachers.
For the purpose of diffusing this information this little book has been prepared under the direction of the Food Administration. By following the suggestions for food conservation herein contained every one can render his country an important war service. I am sure that all will be glad to do this.
[pg ix]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. THE WHEAT SITUATION 1
The world's supply of wheat—Wheat in the United States—Meeting the wheat shortage
CHAPTER II. THE WAR-TIME IMPORTANCE OF WHEAT AND OTHER CEREALS 10
The significance of different kinds of food—The social importance of cereals, especially wheat—Wheat flour in war-time—The 50-50 rule. Another way to cut the consumption of wheat—Substitutes for wheat flour
CHAPTER III. WAR BREAD 22
The bakers' regulations. Victory bread—The individual's answer to the bread cry—Flour and bread in the Allied countries—Why we in the United States do not have bread cards
CHAPTER IV. THE MEAT SITUATION 28
Where Europe's meat has been produced—The war and the European meat-supply—The meat rations of Europe—The part of the United States—Meat conservation—Meat and other protein foods—The meat substitutes
CHAPTER V. FATS 37
The situation abroad—The situation in the United States
CHAPTER VI. SUGAR 42
Why is there a sugar shortage?—The effect of the shortage—In place of sugar—The price of sugar—
Notes for WWI research: Louis Sheehan
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