stations. In addition, publications have been supplied with garden photographs and stories, and press statements have been 'released by authoritative spokesmen. Additional editorial statements are under preparation emphasizing the importance of keeping gardens productive through summer and fall by combating insects, weeds, and plant diseases and by successive plantings. The value to the individual family and to the nation of a generous supply of home-stored and preserved food is also being stressed.

The news letter of the Office for Food and Feed Conservation has devoted a major part of each issue to the development of the program. This has taken the form of exchanging information on the ways of gaining increased interest in gardening and home food preservation. In encouraging food preservation, the Office plans to call the attention of housewives to production of commercial growers of fruits and vegetables, especially when their output becomes exceedingly plentiful and in danger of glutting markets.

Food fights for freedom

The garden program has enlisted the cooperation of commercial agencies interested in the sale of seeds and garden supplies of all kinds. At the same time, other groups, such as the United States Chamber of Commerce, have participated in promoting gardening as a contribution to the fight against inflation and to the shipment of adequate food supplies abroad. The chamber, for instance, turned over its weekly radio network program to a broadcast, entitled "Food Fights for Freedom," in which Madeleine Carroll, Herbert Marshall, and Adolph Menjou appeared as a public service. The broadcast emphasized the significance of the American home garden in the world-wide struggle for survival.

Results have been impressive in some areas, less so in others, depending on the degree of importance attached to the program by the individual State extension services and by the enthusiasm shown by local business and civic leaders and by local newspapers and radios.

Outstanding record

Memphis, for example, has been kept keenly garden conscious by a vigorous, unrelenting campaign waged by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Certain other cities have indicated a high interest in freedom gardens despite the reduced number of vacant lots under the accelerated building program, and despite the lessening of patriotic fervor demonstrated during the war.

In view of the fragmentary nature of reports to date of freedom garden numbers, it is too early to tell whether the goal of 20,000,000 set last year by former Secretary of Agriculture Anderson will be approached. It is certain, however, that if Congress feels that home gardening and home food preservation should be more actively encouraged in the light of foreign or domestic food developments and inflation pressures, additional support for the program can readily be won, this year and next, by an intensified plan to elicit public interest.

Need for program based on present economic conditions

The basic condition of food and feed supplies at home and abroad has not materially changed since Congress authorized the program. In fact, somewhat lower grain prices in commodity markets, by leading to more extravagant use of feed grains, could worsen the situation before harvest. Here are the salient points in the situation that makes realistic effort essential:

1. Feed Grains.—Much less feed grain is on hand in the United States to carry its livestock until 1948 crops are harvested than there was in 1947. Combined stocks of corn, oats, and barley on April 1 were down 30 percent from 1947 and the smallest since 1937. Although consumption has been smaller, stocks have been reduced faster this feeding season than a year ago. This is shown by the fact that January 1 stocks of the three grains were 25 percent below January 1, 1947, while last October 1 the total supply was only 19 percent smaller than the previous October. On the basis of grain-consuming units April 1 stocks were down about one-fourth from last year, and the smallest in the past 10 years except 1943.

2. Food grains.-In spite of the all-time record wheat harvest in the United States last year, the world production of food grains was below the 1935-39 average. The 1947 world wheat crop was 3 percent less; the rye crop 14 percent less. This reduction must be considered in the light of an enlarged demand from the world population 10 percent larger than before the war.

3. Nutrition.-The United States is able to supply its people enough food to meet adequate nutritional standards with an excess for export. The world's nutritional position is much different. Valid evidence of this can be found in a statement from the Journal of the American Medical Association: "The present

shortage of wheat concerns physicians throughout the world because it stands as a stark barrier to the relief of the world hunger and as an obstacle to world economic recovery. Never before has relief from hunger of so many millions of persons been

so contingent on available supplies of a single food item."

4. United States exports.—The record wheat crop of 1947 enabled the United States to plan to export 482,000,000 bushels of wheat. Serious European food deficits, however, led the United States to project its exports of wheat to at least 500,000,000 bushels if the domestic requirements would permit in view of a shortened corn crop. The balance of 18,000,000 bushels or possibly even more will be shipped abroad if the domestic economy can safely spare the additional amount. As of May 1, total overseas shipment of all grains in 1947-48 will reach a total of 577,000,000 bushels by June 30.

5. Inflation in food-Domestic food prices climbed to a high point in January 1948 as a result of heavy consumer demand, adequate purchasing power to support the demand, and diminished supplies of many foods consumers prefer. The BLS. index of consumer food prices stood at 210 in January compared with 100 in 1935-39. A year after the war ended, the index had risen to 160 (the average for 1946) and in midyear 1947 it was at 190. Rising prices have created food deficit problems for many consumers.

The best index of the inflationary stress comes from a survey the Bureau of Agricultural Economics has made in Richmond, Va. The survey, based on a cross section of urban housewives, found 77 percent in a "stress situation." More than 75 percent of the housewives charged the stress to the high price of food. Of the 309 housewives troubled by high food prices, half have attempted to ease the problem by various stratagems, such as buying less, choosing alternate foods, shopping more intensively, and the like. The other half reported they had found no way of coping with the problem. This failure coincides with and probably is directly related to the sharp decrease in the rate of consumer savings that occurred in 1947.

These facts are the foundation of the need for conservation. They also suggest the types of corrective activities the Department has undertaken to deal with the interrelated problems of inflation at home and the need for continuing to export food to Europe.

In this connection, it should be noted that the Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 calls for careful management of our food supplies in the course of helping Europe to recover.

Attention is also called to the tremendous effect the European recovery program and other foreign assistance programs will have upon the food and feed supplies of this country. In this regard there are quoted as follows several paragraphs from House Report 1585, issued with respect to Public Law 472-Eightieth Congress (S. 2202) the proposed Economic Cooperation Act of 1948:

"Although the export surplus, both recent and likely under a new foreign-aid program, is small in relation to the real income and the basic resources of the country, the impact of exports happens to be greatest in those very fields in which commodity shortages both here and abroad are the most serious; namely, food (principally grain), coal, fertilizer, and iron and steel.

"It is essential, therefore, that the country be aware of the inflationary dangers that we shall face if we allow the demands for goods in tight supply to have unrestrained impact on the limited supplies of those goods. This impact is out of all proportion in its inflationary effects to the dollar volume involved.

"It is from this aspect that the foreign-aid program requires meticulous analysis and special precautions to minimize its inflationary implications on the American economy. Those implications do not arise out of the aggregate size of the export surplus, which is clearly within the capacity of the American economy, but out of the export of specific commodities in critically short supply from an economy in which considerable part of the inflationary potential created by the war is still present."

Augmenting the foregoing comments the advisory committee on grain conservation representing approximately 50 national organizations whose activities are related to agriculture adopted on March 5, 1948, in Washington, D. C., the following resolution:

"Whereas present farm grain conservation is making noteworthy contributions to the national security and welfare by promoting more efficient farm production and more efficient utilization of feed supplies, and by reducing waste of food and feed, thereby making additional supplies available both for domestic use and for export to help avert famine conditions overseas; and

"Whereas bountiful and efficient farm production will contribute to the stability of our domestic economy; and

"Whereas European recovery is dependent to a great degree upon the amount of food we can spare for shipment abroad: Be it

"Resolved, That the Department of Agriculture be urged to continue and intensify its grain conservation effort at least until the 1948 crops are harvested, using all the facilities at its command."

The committee which met here today (March 5, 1948) in the Administration Building of the Department of Agriculture was represented by the following: Walter C. Berger, president, American Feed Manufacturers Association; H. R. Davison, vice president, American Meat Institute; L. S. Hitchner, executive secretary, Agriculture Insecticide and Fungicide Association; Eugene Hamilton, American Farm Bureau Federation; Leslie Hubbard, National Poultry Producers Federation.

This committee has been active in an advisory capacity to the Department of Agriculture since the committee's organization on November 13, 1947.

EXHIBIT I

INDEX

Detail of personnel, prepared as of May 21, 1948.

Biographic sketch of employees in grades CAF-11 and above, except Mr. Brannan, Director of Office for Food and Feed Conservation, whose salary as Assistant Secretary is paid from funds of the Secretary.

1 Designated by Secretary Anderson to act as Director of Office for Food and Feed Conservation in addition to duties as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. Funds of Office for Food and Feed Conservation are not used in any way to reimburse Mr. Brannan for personal services.

2 When actually employed.

Reimbursable detail from other agencies, pending transfer to Office for Food and Feed Conservation. 4 Limited part-time employment.

BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH

Donald J. Lehman, Acting Deputy Director, $35 per diem

Mr. Lehman was a newspaper reporter from 1929 to 1934. He was employed by the Albany Evening News-Knickerbocker Press and was also a staff correspondent for the United Press, covering the New York State Capitol, Legislature, and Court of Appeals. From 1934 to 1940 he was publicity representative for N. W. Ayer & Son, an advertising agency. Here he handled public relations of various clients of the concern.

During the years 1940 to 1945, Mr. Lehman was employed with the marketing administration, New York Metropolitan Milk Marketing Area, as director of information. He was directly responsible for public relations policies required in the administration of the New York marketing order. In order to accomplish this he had to have continuous and intimate contact with publishers, newspaper, and radio staffs, and news wires staffs in the six States forming the New York milkshed. Incidental duties included promotion of a school milk program in New York City, organization of special radio network hook-ups, and production of a motion-picture film.

During the next year, Mr. Lehman was associated with the Department of Agriculture as an assistant director of information to collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture in the general planning and supervision of information programs which involve correlated operations through all press media. He maintained full knowledge and understanding of the numerous and complex phases of the Department's actions, research, and regulatory programs, and assembled information for newspaper and periodical presentation to the public, particularly to assist farmers and farm groups. Other duties were to plan a direct long-range educational and informational press programs and projects to implement over-all Department programs. He represented the Secretary and Director of Information at White House press conferences. He also was responsible for maintaining cooperative relations between the Department and the daily, weekly, monthly, and other press groups, including the Negro press.

In October 1946, Mr. Lehman became associate editor of McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., New York City. He was in charge of publication and marketing departments of Business Week. His duties required the production of news stories on trends and techniques in advertising, marketing, promotion, transportation, and consumption of consumer and industrial goods. He was transferred to the Chicago office where he became managing editor of an experimental publication, Farm Business. Mr. Lehman originated the basic plan of the new publication. He recruited a national staff of correspondents, selected news topics for coverage, and assigned the topics to be researched and written.

Mr. Lehman became staff editor of the Kiplinger Magazine in August 1947. He was with this concern until he came to the Office for Food and Feed Conservation, January 1948. His duties as staff editor were to write articles on agriculture, marketing, general business conditions, and economic subjects of all kinds. As Acting Deputy Director for the Office for Food and Feed Conservation, he renders expert technical and administrative advice and assistance to the entire staff.

Thomas F. McNally, consultant, CAF–13

Mr. McNally was employed as a secretary in the United States Capitol from March to July 1942, when he entered the United States Navy and he is now a lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve.

After his discharge from active duty in 1946, he was employed by the United States Conciliation Service as a commissioner of conciliation, serving as a mediator in the settlement of labor contracts.

In October 1947 he was employed by the Cabinet Food Committee to plan, develop, and put in effect a program designed to secure cooperation of a large group of National, State, and local consumer organizations in the campaign to achieve voluntary conservation of food and feed.

Mr. McNally was employed by the Office for Food and Feed Conservation as a consultant to confer and advise with operating officials, industry groups, consumer groups, agricultural groups, and others for the purpose of promoting and organizing a Nation-wide program designed to secure the voluntary cooperation and participation of such groups in the objectives and methods of the food and feed conservation program.