Food Administrator’s File
The Food Administrator ( Hoover ) to the Food Administration Representative at London ( Sheldon )
I do not understand your telegram December 16. First, the Allies have only provided 850,000 tons shipping for December which amount will be loaded despite some railway difficulties due to universal blizzards. Second, we have provided full amount 1,100,000 January at various ports and there will be no difficulty loading but we are informed that full complement of shipping is not assured. Third, Allied foodstuffs are receiving and will receive every precedence in railway and port movement. You can assure authorities that if we receive the shipping and barring of course unforeseen incidents of war we will load not only the cereal programme but one to two hundred thousand [tons] foodstuffs for the Owen Smith commission.1