Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-11-29 | Page 11 | Hoover Says Food will Save Europe

HDD'ER SAKS FOOD WILL SAVE EUROPE Letter to W. W. Armstrong Declares That Famine Is Spreading Anarchy. Aid of U. S. Necessary to Prevent Starvation of Many Millions. Famine is the mother of anarchy, and it being necessary to prevent the spread of anarchy in Kurope that the fullest benefits of the world war may be realized, it is the duty of the people of the United States to prevent a famine abroad, said Herbert Hoover just before sailing for Europe. The food problem In Europe he declared de-clared in a communication addressed to W. W. Armstrong, food administrator for Utah, is one of extreme perplexity. South Russia, Hungary and Denmark, be said, with a total population of only iu.ULM3.000 people, have sufficient food supplies sup-plies to last until the next harvest of crops. Other countries, he said, must have immediate relief. If the people of the United States are economical, the surplus of from 18,000,000 to 20,000,000 tons of food In this country will tide the suffering nations over until they are in a position to take care of themselves. Disorder Also Menace. "All continental Europe," he declared, "has reduced herds, and consequently Is short of meats, and especially of fats. These countries have their last harvests, n nd nnrfpr onierlv rnvprnmfnls thesfl would furnish breadstuffs and vegetables to carry them over various periods, from two months and upwards, depending upon the ratio of industrial populations. Something Some-thing like 200.000,000 people are now in social disorder. In these cases, with transportation and financial demoralization, demoraliza-tion, the tendency is for the peasants to cease marketing even their surplus products, prod-ucts, and thus instant difficulties are projected into the cities, even when resources re-sources are available in the country. i "The peasant and villager of Europe always provides for himself for the whole year. In any event. The problem thus narrows itself to' the support of the cities and large towns pending restoration of order and the establishment of confidence confi-dence in future supplies. - The cities, therefore, afe the centers of anarchistic infection. Little Allies Needy.' "Arrangements havo long since been completed wherebv the big allies France, England and Italy will be provisioned. This takes care of 12,000.000 people. Our first and deepest concern now must be for the little1 allies formerly under the German yoke. In this group there are at least 75,000.000 people, who must be helped systematically at once. Wo have already doubled the stream of food flowing flow-ing toward Belgium. Immediate attention atten-tion must be given to the neutral states of Europe, which are now on short rations. The removal of blockades will help this situation and prevent the growth of anarchism. This will provide for 40,000,000 -people. "Owing to The breakdown of transportation transpor-tation and through sheer anarchy, northern north-ern Russia, with its 50,000.000 people, is in bad condition. Millions of these people are beyond help this winter. "There is a great problem In the situation situa-tion of the enemy people, about 90,000,-OnO. 90,000,-OnO. This Is not a problem of going to their relief, but ono of relaxing the water-tight blockade which continues through the armistice. This blockade must be broken to the extent of giving these people the bare necessities that will result In a stable government. Justice Jus-tice requires that government be established estab-lished able to make amends for wrongs done, and it cannot be accomplished through the spread of anarchy."