Food Will Win the War: The Conservation of Food (Herbert Hoover)
A pen portrait of Herbert Hoover sits above his signed slogan 'Food will win the War!' and a long text block headed 'The Conservation of Food'. The text sets out small daily and weekly savings in wheat flour, meat, sugar and fats and describes starving women and children in Belgium. The tell is the pairing of a named official's signature with a vivid image of hunger and a very small, specific ask.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1917
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- U.S. Food Administration (Herbert Hoover); space donated for display
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Wilson Administration
- Leader
- Woodrow Wilson
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Health
- Event
- World War I
- Regime
- Wilson administration
- Leader
- Woodrow Wilson
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives (NARA), RG 4 (U.S. Food Administration), World War I Posters (NAID 512439), retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- NARA Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
U.S. Food Administration (Herbert Hoover); space donated for display. National Archives and Records Administration, 4-P-67.
Text on the object
"Food will Win the War!" Herbert Hoover Ours is the most wonderful of countries, peopled by patriots, liberal, loyal and genuine, who readily respond to reasonable requests, appeals or suggestions of need, in all times of crisis. True American spirit has been distinctly shown in quick subscriptions to Liberty Bonds, contributions to Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. necessities. But There Is Another More Vital Necessity THE CONSERVATION OF FOOD The government does not ask that you do without food—just DON'T WASTE IT—eliminate extravagance and USE A FRACTION OF AN OUNCE OR SO LESS OF FOOD A DAY that is so absolutely necessary to ship to the battlefields to keep our boys well nourished; besides giving life to ten or more million starving, helpless, exhausted men, women and children in ruined Belgium. If you could see or hear the pitiful wails of the starving Belgian children and their helpless, heartbroken mothers themselves driven mad from the gnawing pangs of hunger, your heart would ache, and you wouldn't hesitate one single minute to agree to use Just one pound less of wheat flour a week Just one ounce less of meat a day Just one ounce less of sugar a day Just one-third of an ounce less of fats a day when depriving yourself of SO LITTLE would save the lives of these millions of human beings dying of starvation, and assure this country of enough food to keep the allied armies and our own soldiers in fine fighting fettle. This space was cheerfully contributed in the cause humanity by [donor's name: none printed after "by"] [small copyright line below the portrait: illegible]
The two lines at the end appear exactly as printed ('in the cause' / 'humanity by'), with no donor name following. The artist's script signature beside the portrait and the small copyright line beneath it are illegible. The Hoover signature is a facsimile.
