The January 31 issue of the Kinsley Mercury ran President Woodrow Wilson’s proclamation urging the cooperation of all American citizens to conserve food.

“Many causes have contributed to create the necessity for a more intensive effort on the part of our people to save food in order that we may supply our associates in the war with the sustenance vitally necessary to them in these days of privation and stress.  The reduced productivity of Europe because of large diversion of man power to the war, the partial failure of harvests and the elimination of the more distant markets for food stuffs through the destruction of shipping, places the burden of their subsistence more largely on our shoulders.”
The proclamation went on to describe the nation’s food conservation plan:

• The president called for a 30% reduction in the consumption of wheat products.
• Citizens should reduce the wheat consumption by 70% of the amount used in 1917..
• Mondays and Wednesdays should be Wheatless each week.
• One meal a day should be Wheatless.
• Tuesdays should be Meatless each week.
• One meal a day should be Meatless.
• Saturdays there should be no consumption of port.
• Sugar should be used economically.
• No waste of any foodstuff.

A local business man, G. E. Wilson, received a telegram on January 24 notifying him that he had been appointed food administrator for Edwards County by the Kansas representative of the national commission.  In the months to follow his appointment, he would both encourage and enforce compliance to the rules. There will be more from Mr. Wilson in my next post.

Americans always try to keep their sense of humor and this little ditty was reprinted in theKinsley Graphic from the Kansas City Post.

The “Lesses.”

 My Tuesdays are meatless,
My Wednesdays are wheatless;
    I am getting more eatless each day.
My home it is heatless;
My bed it is sheetless;
    They’re all sent to the Y.M.C.A.
The barrooms are treatless
My coffee is sweetless
    Each day I get poorer and wiser.
My stockings are feetless,
My trousers are seatless;
    My! How I do hate the Kaiser!