Show 0 im- im uI Factor r n j In Europe Europe's r s Food Crisis Criss et Y Shattered Communication Lines Hamper Market Movements Civil Strife Y Further Restricts Deliveries YS t 1 I 1 Y Rw fI f y B By BA BAUKHAGE News Analyst AT and Commentator Service Union Trust Building Washington D D. D C. C Recently I saw a list of ot 12 European European Euro countries with an estimate ol of the number of calories consumed in each now as compared with their inhabitants' inhabitants prewar diet It was just at the time when the Greek revolt was well under Way yay and only a tight lid was keeping the Belgian pot from boiling bolling over The calorie consumption in those two countries was the lowest on the list 67 and 63 per cent respectively of their prewar diet About that time Myron Taylor the I Presidents President's representative at the Vatican was warning the Allies that if lf communism came to Italy It would come over empty stomachs Adding up this data the natural assumption assumption assumption as as- is that hunger is the chief cause of ot unrest in Europe But it I isn't as simple as that I made some investigations and ad came upon a number of 01 interesting facts which prove the dangers of over cation Number one is Low calories colones maybe may maybe maybe be a symptom and not a disease In ther words disorganization and revolt revolt revolt re re- re- re volt affect the food supply as well as being affected by it Number two Destruction and disorganization disorganization disorganization dis dis- organization are the chief causes of famine Carnine and the type of destruction which affects the food supply Is not the destruction of food It Is the smashing of railways and rolling stock and blowing up of 01 bridges and doing other things that interrupt transportation This has done more to create areas of starvation than any planned destruction of the crops I themselves by the enemy Number three Conditions are frequently frequently frequently fre fre- worse after countries are liberated One common misconception which needs to be corrected is the total amount and distribution of the food shortage Since Europe's food problems probe lems ems are of vital concern to America America Amer Amer- ica lea it might be well to clear up some of ot these erroneous ideas Problem Varies in inDifferent inDifferent inDifferent Different Countries In the first place in the early years of the war the situation was painted too black There were various various va va- rious reasons for this Among them the fact that many countries exaggerated exaggerated exaggerated their plight asking for more than they expected for fear of getting getting get get- I ting less than they really needed Later the picture was painted far tar too rosily Through all this time the experts were not fooled but the pub pub- public lie lic was It is wrong to say that Europe is starving It is wrong to say that nobody is starving or will starve I Iwas Iwas Iwas was informed by a person who is ina in ina a position to know if it anyone is r The point is that the situation in various places varies greatly and here bere we come back to the question of transportation We might use Gr Greece ece as an example of a place where revolt has increased the seriousness seriousness seriousness se se- of ot the food situation One of ot the chief concerns of persons who V had no political interest whatever in inI I whether Greece became a purple monarchy or a bright red spot of communism but who were interested interested inter inter- e ested in seeing that the Athenians didn't starve was the fact that because because because be be- cause of the fighting shiploads of I food lay untouched in the harbor of ot Piraeus i 1 Athens Rome Marseille are allin all allin in spots spots' far distant from areas I where surplus food exists Normandy Norman Norman- dy for instance could share some o ohe of ot f I her he products with the south o of f France if there were any way t to toc o c get the stuff across the country Th The grain in the holds of ot ships in the harbor barbor is no good to the people o of f Greece unless there is unrestricted passage to and from the docks an and d I men who can unload and md transport t it to safety This question of proximity to supply supply supply sup sup- ply explains why all over Europe Europ e the average consumption level of th the e farm population is 40 per cent higher high er than that of the people in urban urba n or manufacturing communities One of the paradoxes of Europe's Europe S Seating eating troubles is that in most co coun countries countries un tries the situation often grows worse worsem e m instead tend of better after liberation takes place Italy is an nn example o of f what mixed blessings liberation ca can n bring I Here we be begin in to see how the twin demons of 01 destruction work out As indicated the direct destruction destruction destruction tion of 01 food supplies either cither by bombing bombing bombing bomb bomb- ing or battle or German sabotage so far has not been a major factor O Of course the more rapidly the Allies Allies Al Al- lies remove the Germans the less chance the they have to st steal al the food orthe or orthe orthe the crops and transport them They had considerable time in Italy On the other hand on their hurried trip from Normandy Normand to the Rhine the Nazis were far too busy moving to beg borrow steal or destroy Where they have had a chance to squat asin as ashi asin in hi the Netherlands Poland and Czechoslovakia the situation is worse But until they knew they were going to have to get out of a country they did not wish to destroy destroy destroy de de- stroy productivity and the natives were fed red They had to keep the people people peo peo- I pie alive to support their own mill mili military I tary and economic activity and they expected they would ha have e plenty of time to exploit later when they set setup setup setup up their own new order in Europe The factors in food production which suffered most were those involved Involved involved in in- in food lood processing It is easier easier easier ier and quicker to wreck a flour sour mill millor or a milk plant than a farm tarm Some I fertilizer factories suffered and of ot course in Holland there was wholesale wholesale wholesale whole whole- sale obliteration of arable land when the dykes were blown This is almost almost almost al al- al- al most permanent damage since the salt from the sea water will sour the soil for years to come Complex Economies Cause Trouble But there were other forces which began to work earlier Europe before the war produced most of what its own people ate The things imported were tea and coffee cotTee spices and fats and oils They also had to Import much of their cattle food rood and fertilizer Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many striving to be sufficient self built many plants for the production of seed oils and raised many oilseed oil oil- seed cro crops s. s This wa was true elsewhere in Europe and because more food value can be produced from the same resources directly than indirectly indirectly indi indi- through raising food for tor livestock livestock livestock live live- stock the livestock was reduced Under these conditions in hi order to get the greatest value out of food rood products strictest regimentation was necessary When the Germans left a country and controls vanished conditions immediately became worse unless under liberation a stable stable stable sta sta- ble government could step in immediately immediately immediately im im- mediately and reorganize This reorganization was impeded by the destruction of transportation the disrupted economy and in hi the case of countries like Italy by the effect of fascist rule which has made the people lethargic dependent and impotent and departing left them leaderless And so we see the vicious circle in operation operation disorganization disorganization hampering hampering ham ham- the food supply hunger an and d unrest preventing reorganization For their own sake the haves must feed the have nots Time Is of the essence and casting bread brea d upon these unhappy waters will beas be beas beas as profitable an investment as it is isa isa isa a gesture of mercy When General MacArthur rides up the streets of Manila some day we hope not far off oft he may have a amounted amounted mounted cavalry escort and if he does three of the stepping high members may be veterans of the battle of Bataan The First cavalry fought for months overseas as foot soldiers A Apart Apart Apart part of their job happened to be the capture of the racetrack at I I ban on Leyte Naturally every man cast envious eyes on some of the horses left there I Later the horses were rounded up and lo to and behold among them were three which were identified as having belonged to the cavalry which had fought at Bataan They were repatriated with acclaim and formed the nucleus of a mounted unit which has been doing excellent reconnaissance on the island I So history repeats ts In the Span Span- American ish-American war of 1898 1893 dismounted U. U S. S cavalry were sent to the Phil Phil- Later a few horses w were re obtained and they proved so valuable valuable able that the whole regiment was mounted |