Show Food Needs of Starving Europe Present Problems ms for America I Released by Western Newspaper Union NEW YORK CITY N. N Y Should America send food to toro tor ro r the starving war-stricken war nations of Europe which have been successfully invaded Considerable Consider ble controversy sur sur- surrounds surrounds surrounds rounds the the answer to this question for it may be bea a vi vi- vital vital vital tal factor in the outcome of the current war England fears feeding these nations would indirectly aid Germany and aid tend to neutral neutral- neutralize ize the effectiveness of their blockade but others dis dis- disagree agree Herbert Hoover suc suc- successfully successfully successfully supervised distribution distribution distribution tion of food in Belgium during the World war and believes it itcan can be done again The National uN Na National a- a Committee on Food for forthe forthe forthe the Five Small Democracies has been formed to carry out out his plan The following foIl wing article pre pre- presents presents presents the committees committee's rea rea- reasons reasons reaSons sons why the five small de de- democracies democracies de- de democracieS should be aided Food is a weapon but famine is a boomerang Each is powerful and effective and like all aU deadly arms should be handled with knowledge and experience and not emotion The first reaction of 01 the British government of October 1914 to the proposal to feed Belgium was in inthe inthe the words of Lord Robert Ce Ce- C chief chi e f of 0 f Great Britain's foreign office iL 4 directly counter counter coun cowl cowlter ter to every dic die dictate dictate diet t tate of military prudence rn But the Brit Brit- British British BritA A ish government later came to realize ze in the words of Mr As- As Asquith Asquith that this relief r e 11 e f food f 0 od reaches the Bel Bel- Belgians Belgians gians glans and the Herbert Hoover French French and reaches them alone while Lloyd George speak speak- speaking speaking ing lag of the work for the allied and associated powers cowers said it has been of inestimable value They demonstrated their belief in its necessity by giving priority to relief shipments even over ship ship- shipments shipments ments of troops munitions and food for the Allies This is a striking lesson from the annals of the World war and should cause us to explore deeply the facts of the present proposal before con con- condemning condemning condemning to possible death 37 mil mu- millions millions lions of people as well as occasioning occasioning occasion occasion- ing lag the inevitable concomitant dis dis- diseases diseases dis- dis diseases eases that will stop at no ideological political or geographical frontier frontier- not even the Atlantic ocean In the World war experience the condition of starvation in Germany at the close of the war as con con- contrasted contrasted contrasted with the maintenance of the Belgian population in good health and without the loss of ot a life by starvation throughout four years is eloquent proof of the fact that the blockade of Germany had been ef ef- effective effective ef- ef effective and in no way affected by the feeding of occupied territories Outline Proposal What is the proposal How was this effected last time How could it be repeated repeat d The proposal is not to dump mis mis- miscellaneous miscellaneous quantities of food into western Europe in the vague hope that they will be distributed exclusively sivel sl el among the conquered peoples Nor is it an arrangement by which any imported food would release to the Germans equivalent quantities of ot native produce On the contrary it is to set up a total administration under which all of the native produce would be mo mo- mobilized by centralization in the ad ad- administrations administration's administrations administration's ministrations ministration's warehouses for the exclusive use of the civilian populations and then to import only those foods in which there is a deficiency so as to make up a abare a bare subsistence maintenance life ration precise precisely ly as was done in the World war It is further that Germany con con- contribute tribute towards this program important tant quantities from her own sup sup- plies Under such a plan it is obvious that any leakages out of the total stores in Iii sufficient quantities to af at affect feet the thc German food tood supply by any amount large enough to influence the German ration and thereby the war would be immediately re self A great deal of opposition to this plan 1 lan is based upon the assertion that the Germans would not live up to any guarantees which they might give But curiously enough The Other Side Many persons believe that it would be impossible to satisfactorily satisfactorily supervise distribution of food sent to conquered nations of Europe Among those who hold this view is Wallace R. R Deuel wHo wIo has spent six years ears in Ger Ger- Germany Germany many as foreign correspondent for tor the Chicago Daily Dally News Recently a reader wrote him and asked U It we could ship food through the blockade to the thc starving starving starVIng ing Belgians for example what percentage of it might we expect the Nazis to take To this question he replied You might expect the Nazis to take either cither most or all of ot what you sent If It they refrained retrained from taking the same food lood you sent they would take a corresponding amount of other stocks The starving Belgians would in either event be little or not at all bet bet- better ter off of than they were before guarantees are arc of ot secondary importance importance tance and German national interest the primary factor What Vh t are these called so-called guarantees Naturally operations could only begin after the toe negotiation of an undertaking with the German government that they t ey will abstain from seizing either na na- native native tive five or Imported supplies Small Help elp to Germany G But food alone would scarcely provide provide pro pro- vide the motive for tor seizing the im Im- imported Imported ported supplies Native produce Is hers for the taking anyway Ger Ger- Germany Germany Germany many is consuming today tons of food rood a month the Invaded territories would need about tons a month would be maintained in these countries as they were last time on a two- two weeks' weeks protection basis Thus if U at any anyone one moment Germany ef ef- effected effected ef- ef effected an embracing nil seizure from the North Cape to the French border she would receive thereby exactly 72 hours of supplies for her 80 millions of 01 people And if U she shedid shedId shedid did the flow of food would be cut of off oil from one shipment to the next There we see exposed amazing and yet so obvious the maximum men men- menace menace menace ace to Britain a Britain a three days supply of food for Germany Some believe that it is Germanys Germany's obligation to feed these people but this also Is inconsistent with the prevailing prevailing pre pre- opinion of the German re re- re- re gime ginie The more ruthless one be be- believes believes believes them to be the more obvious it is that they are not going to 10 raise raise a finger to help their victims We have heard of requisitions and leaks of food supplies during the World war but the audited and pub pub- published published accounts pf of the commission sion that did that job reveal that tha through through- throughout out the four years of 01 their opera opera- operations opera opera- operations operations there was not one single requisition at at least not one that was not replaced directly or in equivalent equivalent equivalent lent supplies It is not improbable that there were small leaks such as have h ve been cited in personal let let- letters letters letters to the press but when it is considered that over pounds of goods were taken into the occupied territories it is petty to raise these infinitesimal proportions of ot the total amount handled as an objection that may condemn these 37 millions of people to death Revolt Held Unlikely Is it possible that if U we do not feed these people they may revolt against their conquerors Former Former- Formerly ly y when there was less le s disparity be- be tween me uie weapons 01 os of an army nna and those of a mob this would have been possible today it is absurd to ex- ex expect that thata a mob armed with scythes and nd pitchforks hunting guns and knives could withstand the weapons ons ms of modern warfare Anyone who advances this theory Is apparently unacquainted with famine amine which far from embolden embolden- emboldening ing big men slowly and progressively breaks their spirit and reduces them to 0 impotence and utter apathy Some thought too must be given to o the question as to whether it is not after all all merely one of distribution tion ion and not of shortage in Europe Agricultural experts reveal that Eu Eu- Europe Europe rope is normally 15 per cent short in her food supply Due to one of ot the coldest winters on record last year followed by one of the wettest springs there Is a further shortage of another 15 per cent Add to these the additional shortages due to war phenomena such as the doubling of consumption immediately upon mo mo- the destruction of stocks and the thc interference with sowings cultivation and harvests and it is obvious that the total shortage in fri Europe this year will be far over and above 30 per cent One proposal has been to send into these countries medicines and food concentrates for children There is but one cure for or famine and that is food and no amount of serums scrums or medicines can ward oil off death by starvation Such relief Is but a saline solution a prolongation of ot the agony No either cither this thing Is right and of ot no risk to England or it is wrong If it is right since we have a stake in this war which we are steadily increasing It Is our duty to raise our voice that at least a trial be made to save these millions of 01 peo peo- people pie plc of our own Ideals and phy phy especially when the tho risk the worst that could happen happ n for the Brit Brit- British BritIsh ish cause Is but 72 hours hours' supply for or Germany The only alternative is to deny food lood to these victims of aggression exposing them to dangers of ot lion on |