The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-04-11
HOOVER FACES TASK OF FEEDING
STARVING NATIONS OF EUROPE
Backed by so0O00000 Voted by Congress He Is Directing
Americas Part in the Work-Trused Aids Make Personal
Inspections Of Food Situation in Poland, Serbia
and Austria-DfficuIt Problems to Solve.

Hes OF all KINDS especially textiles,
have been dangerously depleted and
on account OF the short production Of
coal the railways Of the AustroHun-
enrian states are badly crippled. HAY.
Ing efficient railway transportation In
an Important factor Ia moving foods
where they are most urgently needed.
Anything for the Czecbs must pass
through what Is left OF Austria proper.
Austria- Hungary has been divided
Into Ave separate political areas. Tay.
Tor 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 a mat.
ter OF exchange among the separate
states almost at stnndstill. One sec.
tion Will have coal another some su.
gar, another some grain. but each IN
able 10 carry on" because OF lack OF
what the others have In such a 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 II because its railways have
no coal.
All Of which causes such general I'M
employment as to approach the dan
ger point.
In the essentially Austrian lands.
there IL condition Of apathy. No one
seems to have hope. The people wait
and Ia Vienna make nm attempt at
gniety. OF industry there Is none. In
Jugo Slavia and In Czecho- Slovakia
there IL an entirely different psychol-
ogy. These liberated people have faith
In the future and are reaching out
and struggling to build up prosperous
peoples drift along In an apathetic
state. and the Hungarians live In
daze of proud resignation. Galicia
and eastern Hungary, that have been
taken over by Roumania. have become
voiceless.
Doctor Taylor found the food short
age most serious In German Austria,
where the people are on very low
daily ration with extremely short sup
plies In stock. or In sight.
In Czecho- Slovnkln there was suffi-
Client food to carry the nation through
the worst OF the winter. but short
age before the new harvest was lnev.
table.
Austria lIungary--with fatallstlc ar
tltude--seemed unable to start rccsa-
structlon; not knowing and scarcely
caring what became of them. Polh-
teal bitterness and financial paralysis
completed the picture.
Out of this chaos. as director gcner.
al of the supreme council of supply
aud relief. Hoover must find some
method for distributing American food
stuffs.
Feed Him Before He Faints.
For the new nations. the Czecho-
.Slovnks and the Poles and Jugo- Slnys,
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 Il Will be distributed
on the principle of feed him before
no falnts."
The communities or nations must
pay. Where they have no money-and
the new demoeraeies have little or no
money worth anything outside their
own hordcrs--the food commission VIII
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 lis
equivalent for every papnd of Amerl-
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.
TRANS unless perchancc the situation
develops To u point where red tame
must be cut Ia save the lives that 9th.
erwlse would be last on account OF tho
inroads Of famine
While the peace conference wns
building up machine 10 settle prnh.
lens arising from war torn Europe