Statistics have not yet been published as to the comparative food production before the war and during the war years. Statistics of this kind would go a long way towards settling the question whether high prices were due to currency inflation or due to a scarcity of food. It must be remembered that the arguments on both sides are expressed very dogmatically. Take, for example, the following passage from an address by Mr. Moulton: "The food problem," he says, "goes much deeper than conserving the use of an existing stock of foodstuffs. The real food problem is how to secure a supply of food large enough to meet the continuous requirements of this nation and our Allies. This is more a question of production than of consumption. That is to say, conservation in consumption is less important than large production. There is no possible escape from a substantial shortage of the necessities of life." ========================================================================= ACREAGE OF CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES. [Figures refer to planted acreage.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 1918, | 1917, | | | Annual Crop |subject to |subject to | 1916 | 1914 | average | revision | revision | | | 1910--1914. --------+-----------+-----------+-----------+--------------+------------- CEREALS | | | | Corn |113,835,000|119,755,000|105,296,000| 103,435,000| 105,240,000 Wheat | 64,659,000| 59,045,000| 56,810,000| 54,661,000| 52,452,000 Oats | 44,475,000| 43,572,000| 41,527,000| 38,442,000| 38,014,000 Barley | 9,108,000| 8,835,000| 7,757,000| 7,565,000| 7,593,000 Rye | 6,119,000| 4,480,000| 3,474,000| 2,733,000| 2,562,000 Buckwheat 1,045,000| 1,006,000| 828,000| 792,000| 826,000 Rice | 1,120,400| 964,000| 869,000| 694,000| 733,000 Kafirs | 5,114,000| 5,153,000| 3,944,000| | --------+-----------+-----------+-----------+--------------+------------- Total |245,475,400|242,810,000|220,505,000|[7]208,322,000[7]207,420,000 ========================================================================= VEGETABLES | | | | Potatoes| 4,113,000| 4,390,000| 3,565,000| 3,711,000| 3,686,000 Sweet | 959,000| 953,000| 774,000| 603,000| 611,000 Potatoes| | | | | --------+-----------+-----------+-----------+--------------+------------- Total | 5,072,000| 5,343,000| 4,339,000| 4,314,000| 4,297,000 ========================================================================= Tobacco | 1,452,900| 1,447,000| 1,413,000| 1,224,000| 1,209,000 Cotton | 37,073,000| 33,841,000| 34,985,000| 36,832,000| 35,330,000