Save: 1 Wheat, 2 Meat, 3 Fats, 4 Sugar, and Serve the Cause of Freedom

A typographic poster lists four numbered substitutions (corn for wheat, fish and beans for meat, fewer fats, syrups for sugar) beneath a large 'Save'. The practical instructions are closed by 'serve the cause of freedom', which attaches a virtue word to household rationing.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Glittering generalities Transfer

Date: 1917
Period: First World War
Made by: U.S. Food Administration
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, Economy and finance
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. National Archives and Records Administration, 4-P-122.

Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

Save
1-wheat
use more corn
2-meat
use more fish & beans
3-fats
use just enough
4-sugar
use syrups
and serve
the cause of freedom
U.S. FOOD ADMINISTRATION

Small monogram at right and a tiny printer's code at bottom right are not legible.