WWI: Ag’s importance during the Great War
By Sandy Vasko
September of 1917 saw the rigors of war come to the home front. Price gouging was going on. To combat that problem, new restrictions were put on almost every product.
Even the lowly onion got its share of publicity. We read in the Joliet Morning News: “Eighty-eight corporations and individuals were indicted in Boston for conspiring to monopolize interstate commerce on onions.
“The indictments allege that the defendants divided the country between themselves for the purpose of eliminating competition: that maximum prices were fixed for the purchase of onions, and that the supply was hoarded in order to increase prices.”
We read in the Wilmington Advocate: “Colonel Bennett of Joliet, U. S. food administrator for Will County, has notified retailers of sugar that they are to charge nine and one-half cents a pound for it until further notice. In cases where the customer purchases but one pound at a time, ten cents will be charged, otherwise, the price of sugar has not been advanced. This price is to be adopted by all retailers of sugar in Will County.”
Then came the dreaded announcement from Washington printed in the Joliet Signal: “The food administration announced on Friday that the manufacture of beer and other malt liquors will be prohibited after December 1, as a war measure.
“This announcement said the decision had been reached at conferences between President Wilson and representatives of the fuel, food and railroad administration and the war industries board. Immediate suspension of the purchase of grains for malting purposes was ordered.
“The $12,000,000 ($290,809,000) emergency agricultural appropriation bill with its rider for national prohibition from next July 1 until the American armies are demobilized after the end of the war was passed by the senate without a roll call.
“As a result of the president’s action, the supply of malt liquors is likely to be exhausted before the country goes bone dry July 1, under the terms of the ‘war prohibition’ bill.
“The manufacturers of soft drinks and other beverages and the bottlers of mineral waters are also warned that they also will suffer curtailment of fuel and containers. Breweries and other plants thus put out of business will be utilized by the government so far as possible for war purposes.”
Out in the country, the farmers were having their problems, too. We read in August 17, 1917, in the Wilmington Advocate: “Farmers in this vicinity are complaining of a scarcity of farm hands to assist them in harvesting their crops and during threshing. Several farmers have been in town the past few days looking for men and offering as high as $6 ($146) per day.”
And in November in the Advocate: “Our farmers are complaining loudly on account of the condition of their corn crop. Many farmers in this vicinity state that they will not be able to husk half of their crops. Ralph Lovell of Florence informs the writer that over half of his corn is ruined and not worth husking.”
Back in the spring of the year the Secretary of Agriculture had issued the following statement: Corn is America’s most important cereal. “The production of corn should be increased this year to the fullest extent.”
Despite that, some farmers tried switching crops. In the same issue: “A few of our farmers in this vicinity the past season raised a small amount of broom corn as an experiment. Frank P. Heck of south of town planted half an acre and harvested a ½ ton of broom corn which he sold to W. A. Pawling Wednesday for $65 ($1,575) – at the rate of $130 acre. Carl Johnson, residing south of town, also planted half an acre and George Nail planted four acres.”
Posters started appearing in ads in all the local newspapers, mostly created by the U. S. government. Mantras like, “Waste of food is Disloyalty! Economy of Food is Patriotism! Production of Food is National Service! Corn is the Food of the Nation, serve some way every meal! Save the wheat for the soldiers!”
And what did the soldiers eat? A typical menu for soldiers in the training camps was printed in the Joliet News: “Breakfast: Hot milk toast, fresh rhubarb sauce, fried spare ribs, baked potatoes, toast, bread, coffee; Dinner: boiled Vienna sausage, boiled cabbage, boiled potatoes, hot corn bread, piccalilli, plum duff with caramel sauce, iced tea; Supper: scrambled brains, Jenny Linds (a sort of a plain doughnut in the shape of a cinnamon roll), apple sauce, peach sauce, iced tea, coffee.”
The entire day’s meals were estimated to cost $38.30 ($928), which seems to me to be pretty high. Just as today, the cost that the government pays, was inflated by greedy suppliers, shortage of materials and too many middle men.
It wasn’t long before other types of food were touted to save wheat for the front. One poster said, “Be Patriotic! Use more potatoes and ship more wheat. Be Economical! Use potatoes instead of higher priced foods. Be Physically Fit! No food can replace potatoes. They carry mineral matter which the body must have.”
There is no doubt that agriculture was more important during WWI than in any time previous.
Sandy Vasko is Director of the Will County Historical Museum & Research Center and President of the Will County Historical Society.
How to eliminate waste, a decade before sliced bread was sold.
