Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1919-03-27
HOOVER FACES TASK OF FEEDING
STARVING NATIONS OF EUROPE
Backed by S100o0o00o Voted by Congress He Is Directing
Americas Part in the Work-TrIsted Aids Make Personal
Inspections Of Food Situation in Poland, Serbia
and Ausra-DiffcIl Problems to Solve.

ties of all kinds, especially textiles,
have been dangerously depleted and
on account of the short production Of
coal the railways of the Austro-Hun-
garian states are badly crippled. Hav-
ing efficient railway transportation is
an Important factor in moving foods
where they are most urgently needed.
Anything for the Czecns must pass
through what is left of Austria proper.
Austria-Hungary has been divided
into five separate political areas Tay-
lor believes that this action has for
the time being greatly reduced the re-
sources of all this territory. Each
state sets up barriers against the 9TH
ers. He found the food distribution
and supply which formerly was mat
ter of exchange among the separate
states almost at standstill. One sec
ton will have coal, another some SUI
gar, another some grain, but each I'M
able to "carry on" because Of lack of
what the others have. In such sit
uation, one state, inefficient, and with
It's financial system paralyzed. will
have plenty of coal, but no food, while
another having some food cannot dis
tribute it because its railways have
no coal.
All of which causes such general un-
employment as to approach the dan
ger point.
In the essentially Austrian lands,
there is a condition of apathy. No one
seems to have hope. The people wait
and in Vienna make an attempt at
gaiety. OF industry there is none. In
Jugo-Slavia and In Czecho- Slovakia
there is an entirely different psychol-
ogy. These liberated people have faith
in the future and are reaching out
and struggling to build up prosperous
nations, while the German Austrian
peoples drift along in an apathetic
state, and the Hungarians live in a
daze of proud resignation. Galicia
and eastern Hungary, that have been
taken over by Roumania, have become
voiceless.
Doctor Taylor found the food short
!,
where the people are on a very low
daily ration with extremely short sup
plies in stock, or in sight.
In Czecho-Slovakia there was suffi-
cient food to carry the nation through
the worst Of the winter, but short
age before the new harvest was inevi-
table.
Austria-Hungary-with fatalistic at
ltitude-seemed unable to start recon
struction; not knowing and scarcely
caring what became Of them. Polit-
zeal bitterness and financial paralysis
completed the picture.
Out of this chaos, as director gener.
! al of the supreme council of supply
and relief, Hoover must find some
method for distributing American food.
stuffs.
Feed Him Before He Faints.
For the new nations, the Czecho.
Slovaks and the Poles and -Slavs
that have no money, the scheme fol
selling American foods on credit is
simpler.
Should any emergency arise in these
countries demanding the prompt dis
tribution of food, it will be distributed
on the principle of "feed him before
he faints."
The communities or nations must
pay. Where they have no money-an6
the new democracies have little or nc
money worth anything outside theil
own borders-the food commission viii
take over some commodity produced IL
the nation.
Some time must elapse before the
Americans can trade with Austria ever
on the basis Of getting money or It'll
equivalent for every pound of Ameri
can-bought food that is distributed, be
cause Austria was one of the nation:
4 against which America declared war
Until the blockade is lifted American
Interests cannot trade with the Aus
trians-unless perchance the situation
develops to point where red tap,
must be cut to save the lives that 9th
erwise would be lost on account of TIL,
inroads of famine.
4 While the peace conference wal
building up a machine to settle prob
lens arising from war-torn Europe