Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-27
WORLD MUST LOOK
TO i. S. FOR FOOD
CONTINUED from First Page.)

nave not been adequately fed, as they
to send soldiers to Europe only at
the rate of a quarter of a million a
month. 1t cannot bring them back
faster than it sends them over, eX-
cept as new ships are built-and the
building is not in sufficient volume to
require to be taken into account in
this reckoning: It may be expected,
Guided finally year or more must
elapse before the last of the Ameri-
can troops are returned home and
the ships freed for other service.
American public opinion never would
assent that ships should be diverted
from this work, if by any possibility
1t could be avoided. while the sea
separated homesick American boys
from sonsick American mothers.
So that is the food and the trans
port problem which will lie, when
the war ends, between America and
her western allies.
But it is only the beginning of the
food problem which the coming of
peace will bring to the world gen
orally and to America primarily.
There are famishing millions in
Serbia and Rumania, allies of the
United States as much as are Eng
land and France, and to which Amer
lea owes as binding an obligation.
They must be fed as soon as removal
of the enemy lines makes it possible
" SeHo iooo " lueIu. America can
not wage a great war to protect small
peoples in their political rights-and
then let them Starve.
Millions Now Dying.
And in Poland, in European Rus
STA. in Armenia people are dying of
starvation, not by the hundreds or
the thousands, but literally by the
millions. 1t is estimated that since
the war began one-fourth of the pop
ulation of Poland has been wiped out
by hunger and privations, and each
day sees conditions growing worse.
One-half the population of Serbia is
believed to have persisted. The num-
Der of dead and dying in Armenia
may only be guessed at, but enough
is known to assure that the figures
will appa1l humanity.
In European Russia and the coun-
tries of the Near East it is estimated
that there are close to 2O0, O00, 900 per-
sons who have only partial food re-
What is to be done when the COM
ing Of peace makes it possible to get
food to these starving millions?
It is squarely up to America to
supply an answer to this question
There are in South America, in Aus.
foodstuffs out of which these popu-
lations may be fed. But there are
not ships, and there cannot be ships,
to transport foodstuffs from these
distant lands and at the same time
bring the American Army home from
Europe. Choice must be made of
one of three courses, and there is no
alternative. First, these peoples may
be left to their misery; second. food
may be carried to them from distant
reservoirs and the American Army
left in Europe until they are fed: or.
y; I'd stores
must supply enough food to save
them from starvation until the Army
is returned and the shipping freed.
They Must Be Fed.
Neither American opinion nor the
opinion Of the world will consent that
these people shall starve. Somehow,
from some source, they must be fed.
Some sort Of a magnified and subli-
mated Belgian Relief Commission must
be organized to undertake the task.
a death toll that will make the
slaughter of battle seem insignificant.
And all this takes no account of the
hungry millions in Germany and the
other enemy nations. They are clam
oring now for bread. and will clam
ends. Are they to be permitted to
have tat the expense of our allies
and of other peoples who have been
friendly?
Germany, at least. having kept her
gold at home. has the ready cash to
buy foodstuffs in the worlds mar
kets; and she will get food, even
from America, unless some restrict
i've measures are adopted. Just what
measures could or should be adopted
is a question with which high officials
of the government now are concern
ing themselves. and it is proving one
of the hardest after the war" prob
lens which has been presented for
solution.
No doubt is entertained by those
responsible for the food program that
the American people, when they under
stand the requirements. will effect
the savings necessary to keep faith
with our allies. 1t is not doubted
that they will effect savings that dis
tant victims of German oppression
may be succored and that the Ameri-
can army may be brought homo
speedily. But optimism has not yet
attained q point Of exa1tation where
it can vision the American peoDla
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