Woodrow Wilson to George Edward Creel

THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington

May I suggest to you a very important and immediate publicity task?Will you not be kind enough to get from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Labor Department (in charge of Royal Meeker) and from the Agricultural Department, as well as from such other sources as they may direct you to, as complete a tabulation as possible of the facts with regard to increases in the cost of other articles than wheat, so that there may be systematically set forth a thorough comparison of the increase in the cost of wheat as related to other products during a particular period?The Food Administration sent me a table of this sort, and it is quite likely that they can direct you to their own sources of information.

You will see what I am after. I do not want the farmers of the country to get a wrong impression. I think they are under the impression that the price of wheat, as compared with its average price during the three year period before the war, has not increased as rapidly as the cost of things which farmers have to buy and use, whereas the fact is that the price of wheat has advanced more rapidly and to a higher point than the price of most other articles during an equal period. If we can get these facts properly established and lucidly set forth, it will be of great service and will guide editorial comment throughout the country.

Cordially and faithfully yours,
(Signed) WOODROW WILSONHon.


George Creel, Chairman,
Committee on Public Information.