File No. 763.72/3949

The Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page ) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

6035. At Hoover’s request I send the following important facts:

Careful investigation present food situation Allied countries shows position is most critical, especially regarding breadstuffs. Stocks Italy, France, and England do not average more than eight weeks of which at least four weeks are required for circulation, leaving only one month’s real reserve, so that until next March harvest minimum three months’ supply must be provided from overseas. The total minimum three months’ requirement of breadstuffs, cereal imports for all Allies about 80,000,000 bushels of wheat and 30,000,000 bushels of corn. Approximately 10,000,000 bushels of wheat and corn can probably be drawn from India and Argentina, leaving 100,000,000 bushels required from United States and Canada. This does not include fodder. Disregarding shipping question, these are very close to minimums on which it can be hoped to maintain public tranquillity. In view of this I strongly advise that all shipping should be devoted to this end regardless of other uses and all export of cereals to neutrals from the United States sent forth at once. There is a large stock of wheat in Australia which cannot be moved [Page 655] owing to the shortage of shipping not permitting the long haul and as neutrals are giving very little shipping to Allies they should be required to go to Australia for their supplies which they can probably arrange with the British Government and who will thus be enabled to press neutrals to cease food imports into Germany. It should further be remembered that bidding of neutrals in American markets in competition with each other and the Allies forces up prices not only to our own people but to the other Allies.

Under no circumstances must these facts be made public. Herbert Hoover.

Page

[The Food Control Act of August 10, 1917, and Executive order of the same date, appointing Herbert Hoover United States Food Administrator, are not printed, since their specific application is to domestic affairs. The organization given formal sanction and powers by the act had been functioning on an informal, voluntary basis since its authorization on such a basis by a letter of the President to Mr. Hoover, dated June 12, 1917; but its activities during that period had been almost wholly of a domestic nature.]