U.S. Arsenal for Food - Democracy in Action No.11 - An Arsenal for Food

Sep 21, 2026

Democracy in Action No.11, “U.S. Arsenal for Food,” argues that wartime victory depends not only on guns, tanks, ships, and planes, but on securing reliable food supplies. The text presents perspectives of an American expert, farmer, and consumer, emphasizing urgency about food, the need for agricultural support such as tractors and fertilizers, and consumer responsibility to reduce waste. It explains that hunger and wars connect to long farm cycles, soil renewal, and slow growth, requiring planned production and postwar provisioning for occupied nations and global needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

I. A Democracy in Action

II. What is Needed

III. Difficulties

IV. What Can You and I Do?

V. Suggested Reading

VI. Acknowledgments

97-84202-24Council for Democracy U.S.--arsenal for food New York City[1942] COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBBARIESPRESERVATION DIVISION BIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFOBM TABGET ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED-EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD | 308
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Council for democracy. | | | U.S.—arsenal for food…New York city,Cambridge.
Mass.Council for democracy 1942 | | | 47 D.196=,(Its Democracy In action,no.11 | | | "Suggested reading";p.44. | | | Titueorld war,1039-05-Food question.2.Food supls—U.8 | | | 42-17303
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940.537305 | | REST 3ICTIONS ON USE: Reproductions may not be made without permission from Columbia University Libraries. TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: 35mmREDUCTION RATIO: 10:/MAGE PLACEMENT:IAA IB IB DATE FILMED: 9-30-97 B INITIALS: TRACKING\#: 28260 FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. DEMOCRACY IN ACTION 10e 08 z U.S.ARSENAL 已÷3 FORFOOD U.S.—ARSENAL FOR FOOD Copyrighted by Council for Democracy,1942 DEMOCRACY IN ACTIONNo.11 COUNCIL FOR DEMOCRACY11 West 42nd Street,New York CityNew England Branch:Littauer Center,Cambridge,Mass.PRINTED IN U.S.A.BY SAMUEL MARCUS PRESS,CAMBRIDGE,MASS. CONTENTS I.A DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.........5An Arsenal for Food..... .. 6 II.WHAT IS NEEDED........... 8Why This Program Is Necessary. ....8For an Army in the Ficld . . CMore for Workers.. . Nothing Like a Bite to Eat in a Crisis—EnglishNeeds .......... .10Sharing the Dinner Pail—After the War...I3For Permanent Peace.........16How Much is Enough for Us Normally?....16Our Demands willChange with Knowledge ..18What Each Person Shovld Eat ......20Improved Methods ..........22What a Diversity of Diet Has Done for Others 25 III.DIFFICULTIES ······,27We Live from Hand to Mouth ......28Dissenters on Surpluses. ......28You Can't Hurry the Land · ····29Crop Changes Not So Simple·· ·30Food and Farming in the Cotton Belt ....32More Acreage Needed Today······34Airplanes from Soybeans ·· , ·35Food Production and the Fortunes of War. 36Wanted—More Willing Hands—More Tractors .37Once Again—Farm Labor··.·..38Dobbin's Successors ·········40IV.WHAT CAN YoU AND I Do? .·..·.·40Your Responsibility and Mine.. 4V.SuGGESTED READING ····· ····44VI.AcKNOWLEDGMENTS.····...··45 U.S.—ARSENAL FOR FOOD I.A DEMOCRACY IN ACTION 签 I am the American expert. I know that there is a terrible urgency about food today.Foodis as vital as guns.Every farm,every suburban garden,everykitchen,needs to be an arsenal in this total war.Why?Englandmust have food.Russia may need food.We need morefood forour armies.Our munitions workers will need better diets.Wecannot cut the civilian population and childrenbecause many ofthem are already improperly nourished.We need a surplus tofeed the starving people of the occupied nations as soon as thewar is over. 5 1954 JAN I am the American farmer. I want to do all I can to win the war.I'm willing to workharder,and work longer hours.But if I raise what is most needed,I may have to change my whole crop system.That takes time.It takes capital,too.I can't get the help I need.It's hard to getmore tractors,milkers,trucks.There's a shortage of fertilizersand sprays and seeds.I'd like to look ahead,too.Can we workout a way to use these larger crops,come peace? I am the American consumer. This question of food concerns me deeply.My sons are in thearmy,the navy,the air force.My husband is making munitions.I want my young children to grow into strong,sturdy Americans.I want them to know a peaceful world.What can I 'do to help? Expert. I am here to point the way.I can show how you can helpmake the United States an arsenal for food,as well as guns.

FAQs

Why does the program treat food as essential to war?

Because food is portrayed as as vital as guns in “total war,” underpinning armies, munitions workers’ diets, and civilian survival. Victory is said to depend on food supply as much as weapons.

What challenges do American farmers face in increasing food production?

Farmers are described as needing help with tractors, milking equipment, trucks, and a shortage of fertilizers, sprays, and seeds. Expanding output may require changing crop systems, which takes time and capital.

How does the document explain why immediate production cannot solve hunger?

It emphasizes that land-based production follows seasonal cycles: trees, cattle, and food cannot be produced on an assembly line. Hunger today cannot be met only by today’s or yesterday’s output without planning for future cycles and soil renewal.

Sep 21, 2026

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