White House Press Release, Statement by President Harry S. Truman

61 #500 IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEB RUA RY 6, 1946 to STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT For the world as a whole, a food crisis has developed which may prove to be the worst in modern times More people face starvation and even actual death for want of food today than in any war year and perhaps more than in all the war years combined. The United States and other countries have moved food into war-torn countries in record amounts, but there has been a constantly widening gap between essential minimum needs and available supplies. Although this country enjoyed a near-record production of food and a record crop of wheat, the wheat crops of Europe and North Africa and the rice crops of the Far East have proved to be much shorter than anticipated; in fact some areas have experienced the shortest crops in fifty years because of extreme droughts and the disruption of war. and We in this country have been consuming about 3,300 calories per person per day. In contract, more than 125 million people in Europe will have to subsist on less than 2,000 calories a day; 28 million will get less than 1,500 calories a day and in some parts of Europe, large groups will receive as little as 1,000 calories. aidt Under these circumstances it is apparent that only through super-human efforts can mass starvation be prevented. In recognition of this situation Great Britain only yesterday announced cuts in rations of fats and a return to the dark wartime loaf of bread. Geoorio I am sure that the American people are in favor of carrying their share of the burden. Accordingly, I have instructed the appropriate agencies of the Government to put into effect a number of emergency measures designed to help meet critically urgent needs to the greatest possible extent in the shortest possible time. The cooperation of every man, woman and child, the food trades and industries, the transportation industry, and others will be needed to make these measures effective. I know the conscience of the American people will not permit them to withhold or stint their cooperation while their fellow men in other lands suffer and die. edd The measures to be taken are as follows: 1. The appropriate agencies of this Government will immediately inaugurate A vigorous campaign to se- cure the full cooperation of all consumers in conserving food, particularly bread. Additional emphasis will be placed upon the cooperation of bakers and retailers in reducing waste of bread in distribution channels. 2. The use of wheat in the direct production of alcohol and beer will be discontinued; the use of other grains for the production of beverage alcohol will be limited, beginning March 1, to five days consumption a month; and the use of other grains for the production of beer will be limited to an aggregate quantity equal to that used for this purpose in 1940 which was 30 percent less than the quantity used in 1945. This will save for food about 20 million bushels of grain by June 30, 1946. (OVER)