Newspaper Page Text
The American who fed stricken Belgium for three
years, and who now is head of the United States
Food Administration, makes us believe we can f
do what we ought to do, as a matter of patri- /
otic service—Here's a good pen picture /
ii
ASHINGTON. —Things have changed rapidly. The Cap
itol and White House- are dimmed by a plain vine-cov
ered, six-story brick building (evidently used to be an
* apartment house or family hotel) on the corner of I
t and Sixteenth streets —that would pass unnoticed were
it not for a plain black and white sign over one of the
; entrances which says in modest letters, "FOOD AD
MINISTRATION,” and the sight-seeing busses as they
9 roll by slack up for an instant while the bally huo
। through his megaphone impressively announces, “this
s is where Mr. Hoover is.” ’’ • < .
That tells the story. To iny mind congress may I
resolute and chatter, the White House wires may whir I
steadily with messages fraught with grave import, but as I look at it
today, the fate of this nation and her <iliies; the stress of our oWn
soldiers on the fields of France, depend in greatest measure on what is
being consummated day after day in that unpretentious red brick
building wherein sit Food Director Hoover and his food generals. To
me that building appears ns the very center of the world. ' I can think
of it in no other way.
lam a case-hardened newspaper man of 27 years experience. I have
imrticipated in state, national aud international conferences of grave
import, but the most serious'session I ever sat in was that last week’
in the food administration building in Washington and the most
serious talk I ever listened to was that delivered, to us by Mr. Hoover
at that time.
1 have seen activity in m'an.V forms—departments working at high
speed, great newspaper-offices at press time, firemen battling great
conflagrations, congress and parliament in session, but never have I
been so impressed as with the indescribable, noiseless, ceaseless,
feverish methodical action I saw—no, I didn’t see it; I felt it—in this
building, where is being mapped and planned and plotted the bloodless
food battle of the world, a battle in which if we will only follow ias,
good soldiers and patriots should, the orders of “General” Hoover,
victory will be ours. Mere is the doctrine of "Speed up"—that’s file
slogan of the food administration, you know —exemplified in the nth
power. We were gathered in one of the bearing rooms, 68 of us. Out-
side of myself the gathering was wholly comprised of fish producers and dis
tributors who had come for this conference at the behest of Mr'. Hoover.
They represented the largest fish centers and the largest fish concerns in
this country. -a
Mr. Hoover quietly entered the room; quietly I say, for no one noticed
HL presence until he had taken a seat near Kenneth Fowler, fish expert of
■^ood administration. There he sat, an interested spectator, until two
Hk^-s had finished the thread of a discussion necessary to clear up acer-
HLnt. and then Mr. Fowler, with no fuss and feathers, remarked. "we
Mt hear a few words from Mr. Hoover.”
words!” I wish every man, woman and child in tin- country
K beard them. He wasted no time on preliminaries. Me got down
Monee. He outlined conditions and then elaborated on every point.
* Mgures be impressed upon the gathering what the United States
King in the matter of sending supplies to the allies and that the
Ms doing Hie fighting for themsehes and us, had drawn upon their
Bounds so such a serious extent that the continuation of the war
Kssful outcome actually depended on their receiving their main
Bom the United States. Then he very quietly, hut very gravely said.
. ■rceptible lift of his eyebrows and a sweeping glance that took in
it Mthc room, that the people of tin- United States were not going
En the job.
Mr we go any further let us take a glance nt this wonderfully
who has become a world figure; perhaps at this time THE
Mui tlds is said with all respect to a plentitnde of great men
Mfwho have done, are doing and will continue to do to the end.
Ron you a man of medium stature, well set up. broad of shoulder
' Mst. i'lm-e on this body, a well-rounded head, face full cheeked
Mes well apart; eyes that you can feel, eyes that yon realize
^Piping a big brain behind to make ft mental inventory of you at
RWB^^^MByes, the heavy lines around which are the only indication of
the siuS^aud strain the man is working under: eyes that once looked into,
give an impression of concentrated power, force and.absolute confidence;
the greatest pair of “I can. 1 will, I must” eyes I ever gazed into. Now
dress this man in an immaculate suit of blue serge, double breasted coat and
tie to match; part a handsome head of smooth laid hair absolutely in the
middle; fit the whole being with a low intensive voice, a voice wonderfully
even in tone and seldom raised above the conversational tone, which lowers
rather than raises when he'makes his telling points; add for the only ges
tures just st now and then raising of the eyes and a straight, boring look at
his auditors; hands resting easily at his side, in pockets or finger tipped on
tiie table in front of him —that’s Hoover as I saw him.
While we were all forming a once-over mental impression of the man
Imfore us, he wasn’t losing a minute, in detail he explained in just what
measure our allies .were able to cater to their Own needs and that measure
wasn’t anything reassuring, I can tell you. He th l en,.always giving the exact
figures to prove or back up or intensify his statements, told us exactly of the
Immense quantities of grains and meats the United States had poured into the
Evie Greene’s Ghost Story.
Miss. Evie Greene. the musical com
edy favorite who has just died, used
to tel) a starnthodt a ghost which she
firmly believed she had seen, says
London Tit-Bits. The London corre
spondent of ttie Sheffield Daily Tele
graph says the vision was al Sunder
land, when she was playing principal,
boy in a pantomime.
Miss Greene was lodging in a fish
erman’s cottage, and one night, when
she and some girls from the panto
mime were going to her rooms for sup
per, there overtook them on the stairs
the transparent figure of a little sailor
ij lad, his arms raised, his eyes' closed,
and his body dripping with water.
The figure hurried' up to the attic
of the cottage, and Mist Greene and
her companions ran trembling into the
nearest room. Afterwards they went
all over the bouse, but could discover
no trace of the visitor.
Next thing Miss Greene found her
landlady grief-stricken. She had just
receives! u telegraph from the owners
of a ship in which her boy had sailed,
saying that the vessel had been lost
with all hands.
, ' Platinum Decrease.
Notwithstanding present high prices
of platinum, production in the Urals
during 1910 showed a further decrease..
The total output amounted to 86,508
ounces, as compared with 118,709
ounces in 1913; the production in 1913
and 1914 was' 158,084 and 156,755
ounces, respectively, while in 1909 the
output amounted to 214,042 ounces.
Like the Germans.
Apropos of the murderous (german
air raids oii’opeh towns, Mayor Edwin
W. Fiske of the Mount Vernon exemp
tion board said:
“Why, the Germans have np more
regard for women’s and children’s
lives titan the old California justice
had for the Chinaman.
“This Chinaman had been killed by
a drunken rancher, and the proof
against the murderer seemed irrefut
able. The justice, however, wound up
tin; case in Short order.
“ ‘There hain’t no use of this here
case goin’ to the jury,’ he said, look
ing up darkly over his spectacles from
a law book. ’l’ve studied all titrough
my Law Cydopedy, and there ain’t
no law nowhere ag’in’ a man’s killin’
a Chink. Turn the prisoner • loose,
sheriff. But, say. young feller, don’t
you go doin’ it ag in’. Some justices
is more ignorant than me.’,’—Buffalo
Express.
But He Knew One Kind.
A school, teacher had asked.jr class.
of grade pupils for compositions on
the violet. 0n idoliing over the writ
ten compositions she found the fol
lowing: ■ •
"The violet has sepals, petals, and
a gun."
Perplexed, she called the author to
heir desk and asked what he meant by
shying that the violet had a gun. He
explained:
"Why, you told us that the violet
had sepals, petals and a pistil, and I
couldn’t spell pistil.”
IRWINTON BULLETIN, IRWINTON, GEORGIA.
waiting mouths of our allies and impressed on us that (his procession of food
across the seas must continue in increasing volume.
He explained at length just the food supply condition of the United
States at the present time, and at what expense to ourselves we had been
supplying the allies. Then again reminding us that the output to the friends
“across” must continue in increasing quantities, in a quiet, but most impres
sive, manner, reminded us that now “our own people” were over there, and
that soon there would be more of them. “And you know, gentlemen,” he
remarked, “what you must do for them, what you will do for them. They
are fighting our battle on the forefront. Our duty is to keep them well fed.
We will do it.”
He then went on to show exactly the foodstuff condition; (hat the world
supply of wheat was short; at. the same time giving the encouraging state
ment that, our corn crop probably would exceed last year. He cited the flesh
food status, giving in detail just how we stood on our beef, pork and poultry,
' and what portion of the whole we inhst send abroad to feed our troops and
our allies. He showed, in short, that in order to live up to our food duty
abroad, we must eat less wheat and meat at home.
And right here he got down to the fish question. Leaning tlie tips of his
fingers on the table and gazing at every man in that room at once—it seemed
so, anyhow—he said quietly: You gentlemen here are going to help your
country as a patriotic duty. You must realize from what I have told you
today just how your own country and her'allies stand in the matter of actual
food supply, and what we must do to keep up a food supply for them and
ourselves. You are going to increase the fish production of this country by
50 per cent. lam not going to try and tell you how yon are going to do it. I
have faith in you as patriotic men and business men. who know your own
business to the minutest point, that you will make the great effort, and that
you will succeed. Remember that this is no personal call to you; it is the
call of your whole country.
Now, these are not exactly Mr. Hoover's own words, but that is the way
a newspaper man remembers them, and those are the impressions this won
derful talk left in my mind. He was not demonstrative at any point. He
was cooler than a college professor explaining a geometry proposition to a
class of beginners. He was calmly enthusiastic, if you can sense the scope
of that expression.
One or two points more remain in my memory; not his exact words, but
what he was driving at. He didn’t try to tell us that we were going to
starve, but he did try to tell us how to prevent, ourselves and our allies from
sighting that danger point. He did claim that if the advice, the appeals of
the food administration were followed, our armies would be able to fight,
better, ourselves and allies in Europe, the men, women and children all —
would not see the shadow of the gaunt specter of want in their door yards,
and that final victory would be ours; in short, that “food will win the war.”
He did counsel us to eat less wheat and wheat products, less beef and
beef products that they might be sent to supply the abnormal demand abroad,
now made even larger by the constant increasing of our own armies across;
and to eat in their place more fish, poultry, fruit, vegetables and all cereals
except wheat.
Oh, the words and thoughts he crowded into that hour! The former
none there can remember, but the thoughts they conveyed will never.be for
gotten by the men who heard him. He stopped as suddenly as he began,
smiled winningly; bowed and walked toward the rear of the room and the
door, and then ns though imbued with the same feeling of respect and con
fidence for the man who is carrying such a world-wide burden every man
1 in the room rose to his feet, and as this food Atlas came down through them,
1 gave him a round of applause which must have made him feel, “well, those
1 felloWs will help me, I know.”
And then that body of fishermen got. right down to business, talked and
planned like all-possessed how to do the bidding of the man who had just
left the room, and after two days of intensive labor went their ways to their
various homes, each determined that the fish supply of tiie country should be
’ increased or he'd know the reason why.
It was one of those meetings that tells why the Hoover way is winning
‘ all over the country, why the Hoover idea is gradually forcing itself on the
public mind as something that MUST be lived up to, why the United States is
1 going to keep on feeding herself and her allies, why “food will win the war.”
1 Every man in that assemblage went home “Hooverlzed” and carried within
; his busy - brain the slogan so nptly suggested by Mr. Fowler, “Catch ’em for
Uncle Sam.”
I would like to quote a few real Hoover paragraphs shot across the table
at us and which to my mind are vital.
“In America there always has been a surplus of foodstuffs, and we hav?
' contributed materially to the support of other countries. We have never had
to make a particular effort to conserve our food supply or to avoid hunger
and starvation by thrift. We now find ourselves the one great source of the
surplus food that must reach Europe, if we are to win the war. That surplus
1 will be scanty, particularly this year, becAuse of the comparative use of our
1 supplies and by the most restricted use of food by our European allies.
“The problem of feeding ourselves and feeding our own army abroad and
' of feeding our allies is the most pressing one that Is Immediately before each
and every individual; ; ' •
1 . “I feel confident that the splendid volunteer spirit of service of the
American people will demonstrate itself In solving our food problem and that
1 all American producers, manufacturers, merchants and consumers will work
together toward a common end.
1 “The available supplies this harvest year are less than last year; the
demand upon us is greater than last year, and from the last harvest we
• exported more than we really could afford. We can only meet the call upon
us next year by saving and by substitution of commodities which cannot b*
transferred.”
HELPSWHIPHIEiIY
Folks Have to Pay Extra Now
for Postage, Travel, Amuse
ments, Etc.
REMEMBER, KAISER TO BLAME
But for Prussia'* Mad Ambition and
Barbaroua Method*, World Prob-
ably Would Be at Peace—Don’t
Forget Income Tax.
Washington—How does the war tax
strike you? How do you enjoy pit
ting up three cents instead of two on
all letter* sent out of town? How do
you like paying the extra charge for
movies, railroad tickets, telegrams,
long-distance phone messages?
And, by the way. If you are single
and earn more than .SI,OOO a year, you
have to pay a two per cent tax on all
in excess of the thousand bucks. And
if you are married, you have to pay
two per cent tax on your annual in
come In excess of $2,000.
Didn't you know that? Well, it’s
true, and the tax must be paid by
June 1, 1918 for the whole year 1917.
If you fall to pay, the government can
exact a heavy penalty. But remember,
folks. It is al! done to help whip the
kaiser. If the tax makes you
grouchy, cuss the kaiser, don’t cuss
our government.
All of the new taxes fall upon the
average man. They have nothing to
do with the "conscription of wealth.”
They are a part of the program of
taxation to make each rann, woman
and child in the United States feel a
direct personal part in the war. They
apply to freight, passenger and ex
press transportation, pipe lines, Pull
man seats and berths, telegraph and
telephone messages, insurance poli
cies, admissions to theaters and
“movies" aud to club dues. The ef
fect of most of them is fell, therefore,
In a slight rise In the high cost of
living.
The taxes are expected to net the
federal government the following rev
enues:
Freight transportation $77,500,000
Express transportation.... 10.000.000
Passenger transportation.. 60,000,000
Pipe lines 4,500,000
Seats and berths.?. 4,000.000
Telegraph and telephone
messages 7.000,000
Insurance policies 5,000,000
Club dues 1,500,000
Admissions 50,000,000
The war tax ou facilities furnished
by public utilities is now levied ns
follow*:
Three per cent of the amount paid
for transportation by rail or water or
by any form of mechanical motor pow
er in competition with carriers by rail
or water, on freight consigned from
one point in the United States to an
other.
One cent for each twenty cents or
fraction charged by express compa
nies for transportation from one' point
in the United States to another.
Eight per cent, of the amount paid
for the transportation of persons by
rail or water or by any form of me
chanical motor power on n regular
established Une in competition with
common carriers, from one point in
the United States to any iwlnt in the
United States, Canada or Mexico
where the ticket is Issued in the Unit
ed States. No tax is Imposed on com
mutation or season tickets for trips
less than 30 miles, or In cases where
the fare does not exceed 35 cents.
Ten per cent of the amount paid
for seats, berths or staterooms.
If a mileage book used for trans
portation or accommodation was pur
chased prior to November 1. 1917. or
if <"sh fare is pnid, tltb conductor or
agent collecting the fare is required
to collect the tax.
Five per cent on the amount paid
for the transportation of oil by pipe
line.
Five cents for each telegraph, tele
phone or radio dispatch originating
in the United'States where the charge
is 15 cents or more.
The foregoing taxes are paid by the
persons paying for the services or
facilities rendered. A carrier making
no charge for transporting a commod
ity because of its ownership thereof,
or for any other reason, is required
to pay a tax equivalent to the amount
which would he imposed if ft received
payment, except in the case of com
modities which are necessary for its
use in the conduct of its business or
the business of another line constitut
ing a part of the same railroad sys
tem. Service rendered to the federal
and state governments is exempt from
taxation. Persons collecting these
taxes are required to make monthly
returns and monthly payment* to the
federal government.
The new levies upon Insurance take
effect in the following manner:
On life insurance, eight cents on
each SIOO or fraction of the amount
of the policy, except Industrial insur
ance policies not In excess of SSOO
issued on the weekly payment plan, in
which case the tax Is 40 per cent of
the first weekly premium. Policies of
re-insurance arc exempt.
On marine. Inland and fire Insur
ance, one cent on each dollar or frac
tion of the premium charged under
each policy including renewals, but
not including policies of re insurance.
Casualty Insurance, one cent on each
dollar or traction of the premium
• ••••••••••••••••••••(.•••a
• *
• Postage.—Three cents an ounce •
J or fraction thereof on letter* for • ■
• other than Local delivery; two J
2 cents on all postal cards. *
• Admission*—Ten per cent tax J,
• on tickets to theaters, cabarets, *,
• and other amusement places. 2
• Dues—Ten per cent tax on •
• dues of clubs exceeding sl2 a 2
• year. •
• Tobacco—Graduated taxes on •
• cigars, tobacco, cigarettes, cigar- J
• ette papers and snuff. •
• Express—Five per cent tax on J
J amounts paid for express trans- •
• portatlon. 2
J Passengers—Eight per cent of
• the cost of railroad tickets, ex- •
J eept local. •
• Berths—Ten per cent of the •
2 cost of berths, staterooms, and 2
• parlor car seats. •
• Oil—Five per eent tax on 2
2 amounts paid for transportation •
• of oil by pipe lines. 2
2 Messages—Five cents tax on •
• each telegraph, telephone, or ra- 2
2 dip message costing 15 cent* or •
• more. 2
• Insurance—Eight cents tax on •
• each SIOO or fractional part *
• thereof of each life insurance ♦
2 policy; one per cent of the pre- •
• mlum on fire, marine, inland, 2
2 and casualty Insurance policies. •
•••••••••••••••••••••••••»
charged under each policy (except in
demnify and surety bonds, which are
taxable under another title of the bill)
Including renewals, but not including
re-insurance policies.
Policies issued by any corporation
exempt from the income lax are ex
empt from this tax.
The person, partnership or associa
tion issuing such policies of Insurance
is required to make monthly returns
and monthly payment* to the govern
ment.
For every ten cents or fraction
thereof you spend on the movies you
must turn over Ao the government one
cent. Os course, the movie propri
etors may save you th* inconvenience
of handling pennies by raising his ad
mission price a nickel, a* many other
persons selling goods affected by the
war tax have already done.
Here is the way admission tax and
the club dues levies will fall upon
the public:
One cent on each ten cents or frac
tion of the amount paid for admission
to any place including admission by
season ticket or subscription, to be
paid by the person paying for sueh
admission, except in the case of chil
dren under twelve, where the tax in
every case is one cent. Persons ad
mitted free pay the tax on the basis of
the charge made to other persons of
the same class, except employee*,
municipal officers on official business
and children under twelve. Where
the charge for admission to a cabaret
or similar entertainment is wholly or
in part included in the price paid for
refreshment, service or merchandise,
the amount paid is to be computed un
der regulations to be prescribed by
the treasury department.
In the ease of persons having the
permanent use of boxes or seats, or
a lease thereon, the tax is equivalent
to 30 per cent of the amount for which
a similar box or seat is sold for the
performance or exhibition at which
the box or seat is used or reserved by
. or for the lessee or holder.
These taxes are not to be imposed
in the case of a place where the maxi
mum charge for admission Is five cents
or for shows, rides or other amuse
ments In outdoor general amusement
parks where the admission is ten cents
or in the case of shows, rides or other
amusements (the maximum charge for
admission to which is ten cents) with
in outdoor general amusement parks,
or in the case of admissions to such
parks. Where the proceeds inure ex
clusively to the benefit of religious,
educational or charitable societies or
organizations, and in the case of ad
missions to agricultural fairs, no tax
shall be levied,' provided none of the
proceeds are distributed to stockhold
ers or members of the association.
A tax of 10 per cent is imposed on
the amount pnid ns dues or member
ship fees, including initiation fees, to
any social, athletic or sporting club
where such dues or fees are in ex
cess of sl2 per year, *uch tax to be
paid by the person paying the dues
or fees. Dues or fees paid to fra
ternal or beneficiary societies, order*
or associations operated on the lodge
system are exempt.
Those collecting admission dues or
fees are required to collect the tax
and make monthly returns and pay
ments to the government.
, »
Civilization.
Judge Shockney, of the Randolph
county court, relates a story of a
friend of his who for many years sail
ed on the high seas, and was nt one
time shipwrecked nnd drifted to n
tropical island, says the Indianapolis
News. After landing on the island his
friend began to Investigate, and made
his way inland, in. search of sign* of
habitation, proceeding cautiously, tear
ing he would meet cannibals. He wan
dered around uutll almost famished,
when suddenly he discovered n fire in
the distance. He hid himself until
dark, when he crept near enough to
bear voices. He listened for som*
time, but could not make out what
was said. Suddenly the voices grew
louder and an argument arose between
the men around the fire. One exclaim
ed in a loud voice: "I played the
jack.” Another replied in angry tone*,
“You’re a liar.” Shockney’* friend at
once rushed up to them and cried out:
“Thank God for civilisation. You are
Christians,”
