The War on Sugar Consumption
Federal Food Administrator Charles Hebbard urges Washington residents to slash sugar intake to provide emergency rations for French allies.
Federal Food Administrator Charles Hebbard has appealed to the people of Washington to heed the urgent call of the French people to provide them with 100,000 tons of sugar within thirty days. America consumes 90 pounds of sugar per capita each year, or a little under four ounces for each person per day. In France, England, and Italy, the annual consumption per capita is 21 pounds, or less than one ounce per day. The 1,400,000 people in Washington now consume as much sugar as 6,000,000 French people. To save the minimum ration for the French people, Hebbard urges every citizen of the United States to reduce their consumption of candy and sugar by one-third.
“The 1,400,000 people in Washington now consume as much sugar as 6,000,000 French people.”
This 1917 call for 'individual economy' reflects how Kennewick and the nation were mobilized to view personal consumption as a weapon of war. It anticipates modern discussions about supply chains and individual versus corporate responsibility during global crises.
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