conservation, as well as high prices, we temporarily had hogs in
plenty. Beef is short for the summer season. Policies must change
frequently with fluctuating supplies and varying demands from Europe.
However, the export demand for our forces and the Allies is limited
only by shipping capacity, and it may be that we shall have a still
larger demand at the war's end which will tax any reserve which we can
possibly accumulate.

MEAT CONSERVATION

Meat does not play nearly so important a part in the world's dietary
as we are accustomed to think. There is no comparison, in the quantity
consumed, between meat and bread, or even meat and sugar or potatoes.
Half of the people of the earth eat little or none of it. Only in two
kinds of communities is meat used largely--new and thinly populated
countries with much grazing-land, or wealthy industrial countries.

Australia and New Zealand are of the first type, consuming more meat
per person than any other country in the world--5 pounds a week in
Australia and 4 pounds in New Zealand. The United States, parts of
which may be considered in both classes, eats about 31/4 pounds per
person weekly. This is much less than some years ago, when there was
more grazing-land.

Great Britain, because it could afford to import it, used about 21/4
pounds a week before the war. Germany's consumption was slightly
lower. France, Denmark, Switzerland, with fewer animals or less
wealth, are small meat-eaters, the average amount being about 11/2
pounds a week--about half as much as our consumption.

MEAT AND OTHER PROTEIN FOODS

Meat is eaten partly because of its pleasant flavor and partly because
it is a source of protein which is necessary to build or renew the
various parts of the body. Every cell in the body contains it and
needs a steady supply.

Meat is a valuable protein food, but so are plenty of others--fish,
cheese, eggs, milk, dried beans, dried peas, nuts, cereals.
Cottage-cheese is the most nearly pure protein of anything that we
eat. We can get protein just as satisfactorily from cheese and the
other animal protein foods as from meat, and almost as satisfactorily
from the vegetable protein foods. THE OLD IDEA THAT MEAT IS
ESPECIALLY "STRENGTHENING" HAS NO FOUNDATION. Neither is one kind of
meat less thoroughly digested than another.

There is little danger in this country that our diet will fall too low
in protein. Many of us eat considerably more than we need. Even thos