Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Identifier
WWP19471
Date
1918 August 99
Description
Herbert Hoover sends Woodrow Wilson a memorandum between himself and the European Food Ministers, noting the difficulty in each country being adequately represented due to Great Britain’s control of shipping.
Source
Hoover-Wilson Correspondence, Hoover Institution, Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford, California
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964--Correspondence
Language
English
Text
His Excellency the President of the United States,
The White House, Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President
I enclose herewith copy of a memorandum entered into do-day between myself and the Food Ministers of Great Britain, fFrance, and Italy. If you have the time to examine it you will find that it is well within the memorandum of organization formulated by you on July 6th. I have lodged this memorandum with the other Food Ministers.
I have found great deifficulty and much delay in securing the adoption of this arrangement as it practically places the three European Allies in equal voice with regard to the policy and distribution of European food supplies. As you are aware, growing out of the British control of French and Italian finance at the earlier stages of the war, and out of the British control of shipping, they have practically acted as the purveyors of supplies to the other two countries.
There has been a deficiency in delivery of food supplies to the three countries from the programme agreed upon last autumn, of 4% about 4% to the British, 25% about 20% to the French, and 39% about 30% to the Italians. The consequence has been great hardship and difficulties in Italy and France over food problems, and there has grown out of it a bitterness of a very dangerous character as it penetrates throughout the people particularly in France. From the supplies delivered the English have accumulated a considerable stock of food-stuffs and the French and Italians have not had sufficient. However, all three made over-demands to some degree and in consequence there has been little confidence between them, and the knowledge of rather greater over-estimation by %French and Italians to some extent justifies the British attitude. I have tried to obtain an accurate and frank determination of the necessities of each, through the joint scientific commission which I established last winter, and toe consummate this into practical handling through the creation of athe joint “Committee of Representatives.” The difficulties in establishment of this Committee have been entirely on the side of the English, growing naturally out of their previous predominance and while these difficulties may not be entirely as yet ocvercome, I confidently believe that the creation of this Committee in constant session will be a strong forward step. It has already cleared the air very materially and will relieve us very greatly from the embarrassments of the past year , in having our hands forced to supply supplementary food and shipping to make up demands based upon a panic. On the other hand, i and worse embarrassments that might arise. It also gives us the possibility of kmore definite and consistent programmes in our internal management of production and conservation. Beyond this again, it enables us to accomplish through the influence of our representatives here certain food substitutions that are nefcessary in Europe that will accord with the greatest economy in tonnage. As an instance of this I may mention that one of the first accomppishments of the meeting of the Committee is to eliminaetion of the transportation of some 2,000,000 tons of fodder intended for meat production purposes in England and the substitution therefor of some 400,000 tons of pork products directly from the U.S., being equivalent food values. Furthermore, lcoordination has already effected much saving of tonnage by the diversion of cereal transport from longer routes to the North American market, in such amounts as we fcan comfortably take care of. One other result of substitutions and diversions of shipping to the nearest market is to provide such supplies that bread and pork products rationing may be abandoned at once in Europe and yet considerable savings made inttonnage. The promise of this has already effected much in morale.I am, subject to your approval, establishing Mr. JP Cotton as my senior representative here, with the assistance of Mr. Jackson in the cCereals, Dr. Durand on the Meats & Fats, together with Mr. Sheldon, who acts also for the War Trade Board I feel that the announcements we have been able to make and the larger supplies available from North America this year have contributed materially to the removal of fear of food shortages which had penetrated graeatly into English daily life, and I am strongly urged by the Food Ministers of France and Italy to spend a day each in Paris and Rome that such announcements may be made to their people. of all the Allied peoples.
In order that it may be evident that we are equally concerned with all I am making a hasty journey to France and Italy and I will therefore need to absent myself from Washington two or three weeks longer than I had intended, first because of this latter journey, and, second, because of the long delays and obstruction in securing acceptance of the plan of procedure and organisation by the officials concerenned.
The White House, Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President
I enclose herewith copy of a memorandum entered into do-day between myself and the Food Ministers of Great Britain, fFrance, and Italy. If you have the time to examine it you will find that it is well within the memorandum of organization formulated by you on July 6th. I have lodged this memorandum with the other Food Ministers.
I have found great deifficulty and much delay in securing the adoption of this arrangement as it practically places the three European Allies in equal voice with regard to the policy and distribution of European food supplies. As you are aware, growing out of the British control of French and Italian finance at the earlier stages of the war, and out of the British control of shipping, they have practically acted as the purveyors of supplies to the other two countries.
There has been a deficiency in delivery of food supplies to the three countries from the programme agreed upon last autumn, of 4% about 4% to the British, 25% about 20% to the French, and 39% about 30% to the Italians. The consequence has been great hardship and difficulties in Italy and France over food problems, and there has grown out of it a bitterness of a very dangerous character as it penetrates throughout the people particularly in France. From the supplies delivered the English have accumulated a considerable stock of food-stuffs and the French and Italians have not had sufficient. However, all three made over-demands to some degree and in consequence there has been little confidence between them, and the knowledge of rather greater over-estimation by %French and Italians to some extent justifies the British attitude. I have tried to obtain an accurate and frank determination of the necessities of each, through the joint scientific commission which I established last winter, and toe consummate this into practical handling through the creation of athe joint “Committee of Representatives.” The difficulties in establishment of this Committee have been entirely on the side of the English, growing naturally out of their previous predominance and while these difficulties may not be entirely as yet ocvercome, I confidently believe that the creation of this Committee in constant session will be a strong forward step. It has already cleared the air very materially and will relieve us very greatly from the embarrassments of the past year , in having our hands forced to supply supplementary food and shipping to make up demands based upon a panic. On the other hand, i and worse embarrassments that might arise. It also gives us the possibility of kmore definite and consistent programmes in our internal management of production and conservation. Beyond this again, it enables us to accomplish through the influence of our representatives here certain food substitutions that are nefcessary in Europe that will accord with the greatest economy in tonnage. As an instance of this I may mention that one of the first accomppishments of the meeting of the Committee is to eliminaetion of the transportation of some 2,000,000 tons of fodder intended for meat production purposes in England and the substitution therefor of some 400,000 tons of pork products directly from the U.S., being equivalent food values. Furthermore, lcoordination has already effected much saving of tonnage by the diversion of cereal transport from longer routes to the North American market, in such amounts as we fcan comfortably take care of. One other result of substitutions and diversions of shipping to the nearest market is to provide such supplies that bread and pork products rationing may be abandoned at once in Europe and yet considerable savings made inttonnage. The promise of this has already effected much in morale.I am, subject to your approval, establishing Mr. JP Cotton as my senior representative here, with the assistance of Mr. Jackson in the cCereals, Dr. Durand on the Meats & Fats, together with Mr. Sheldon, who acts also for the War Trade Board I feel that the announcements we have been able to make and the larger supplies available from North America this year have contributed materially to the removal of fear of food shortages which had penetrated graeatly into English daily life, and I am strongly urged by the Food Ministers of France and Italy to spend a day each in Paris and Rome that such announcements may be made to their people. of all the Allied peoples.
In order that it may be evident that we are equally concerned with all I am making a hasty journey to France and Italy and I will therefore need to absent myself from Washington two or three weeks longer than I had intended, first because of this latter journey, and, second, because of the long delays and obstruction in securing acceptance of the plan of procedure and organisation by the officials concerenned.
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Citation
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964, “Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson,” 1918 August 99, WWP19471, Hoover Institute at Stanford University Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.