The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-03-28
HOOVER FACES Task OF FEEDING
STARVING NATIONS OF EUROPE
Backed by s0000o000 Voted by Congress He Is Directing
Americas Part in the Work-Trusted Aids Make Personal
Inspections Of Food Situation in Poland, Serbia
and Austra-DiHicut Problems to Solve. @

caring what became of them. Polit-
:cal 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. ~1 80 =
\ Feed Him Before He Faints.
For the new nations, the Czecho-
Slovaks and the Poles and Jugo-Slavs,
that have no money, the scheme for
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--and
the new democracies have little or no
money worth anything outside their
own borders--the food commission will
take over some commodity produced in
the nation.
Some time must elapse before the
Americans can trade with Austria even
on the basis Of getting money or. it's
equivalent for every pound Of Ameri-
can-bought food that Is distributed. be-
cause Austria was one of the nations
against which America declared war.
Until the blockade is lifted American
interests cannot trade with the Aus
trians--unless perchance the situation
develops to a point where red tape
must be cut to save the lives that 9th
crwise would be lost ON account Of the
inroads of famine.
While the peace conference was
building up a machine to settle prob
lens arising from war-torn Europe,
Poland, one Of the new demOcracies,
was suffering from lack of foods that
could only be supplied from America.
Saved From Starvation.
Hoover sent DR.. Vernon Kellogg to
investigate the situation. Kellogg re-
ported poland must have immediate
assistance from the outside world
(Which meant America) if the poorer
inhabitants of the large cities and the
unemployed workmen and children in
the Industrial centers were saved from
starvation"
Under normal conditions, Poland is
self-supporting. as regards food, but
four and half years Of war had
brought the nation to desperate straits.
German hooters stripped all machines
of copper and betting. Scores of ma
chimes were wantonly destroyed. Tons
of stuff were carried away by the Ger
mans.
In all Poland, with its 100000 peo-
pie, the danger Of starvation was a
daily menace from December, when
the peace conference started. until
food from America arrived.
Take Security.
1t is with such nations as Poland
that Hoover has to deal. There was
only one way to obtain some kind Of
compensation for American foods dis
trihuted. This zone way" entailed con-
siderable risk when one thought In
terms Of millions of dollars. But mil
lions--in the old war game were mere
pawns in the gigantic enterprise of
war. And in the first reconstruction
days they had to be viewed from the
same standpoint. The one just meth
cd, according to the Hoover policy,
was to take some kind Of security from
the nations benefited by American sup
plies. Each nation had different Sc
curity, ROumania had oil fields which
formed a basis Of credit, If the world
(America) sent food in time. The
world needed oil. and Roulnania need
ed food.
In Warsaw there was another kind
Of security; the wooden mills, which In
peace times were among the finest in
the world. Factories could not re-
open, however, until the employees
were fed. The population was weak
eDed from hunger. "Feed the people;
they in turn will feed the securities"
was the Hoover policy. Tie first need
has been met by n gift ship from Amer
lea. but it is only drop in the bucket.