The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-12-31
Food for Europe.


Barnes, United States Wheat Direc-
tor and president Of the United States
Grain Corporation, Yesterday made
the following statement in reference
to Mr. Hoover's plan to: supply food
TO Europe on credit using: the, capital
Of the Grain Corporation:
IT would be very glad indeed if
congress should, in line with Mr..
Hoover's suggestion, authorize this
plan to supply food to peoples now
in urgent need in Central Europe
against theil. credit obligation. Their
appeals to us at present are quite
distressing. The profits of the Grain
Corporation and of tho Sugar>Equal-
ization Board are quite material and
may we'll be invested in such human
itar:an relief helping directly to steady
the war-torn peoples Of Europe in
their progress towards the day when
they can stand alone.
Last February the people of this
country expected to lose one billion
Of dollars in discharging the war
time pledge of a producers wheat
price. It now appears that eighty
per cent of the wheat of thus country
is marketing outside the Grain Cor
poration and above the government
guarantee price. 1t is very iD1prob-
able that the National Treasury viii
have any loss whatever from that
source. Congress may we'll consider
whether one hundred or two hundred
million dollars Of loans authorized to
those suffering nations in the main
, tenace Of social order would. not be
a proper return for part Of the billion
dollars to the National Treasury, in
stead of the preservation of the en-
tire amount in cash. Neither Mr.
Hoover nor myself, convinced as we
are Of the dire extremity OF millions
Of people. can face the responsibility
without thus putting the situation be-
fore the American people and their
representatives.
This is probably the last winter Of
distress for lack of food in Europe.
Our own investigation last May con-
yinced us that ninety per cent OF the
arabic land OF Europe was sown to
crops within siX months after the ar
nlistice in spite Of tremendous difficult
ties due to lack Of tools, farm ami
mails and labor. The normal tenden-
cy of man this revealed, to reutnrn to
orderly production in areas swept by
war for five years. was most encour-
aging and there is steady progress
likewise in the industrial sections.
though necessarily more Slow in de-
vclopment.
The immense drainage Of supplies
by war could not be replaced in a
single harvest. but another harvest
season will undoubtedly make Europe
fairly secure for food needs and allow
a larger human energy devoted to the
rebuilding Of industry 1t remains,
true. however, as set forth so vividly
by Mr.. Hoover. that between now and
the next harvest, food is required in
certain areas and BY certain people
not yet possessing the means Of pay
nlent but whose character and re-
sources justify a measure of capital
zation from our most fortunate po-
sition. The distribution last winter
and spring Of Htiicrican food by an
American :ganization maintained So
cial order in Europe. Distribution in
lesser measure this winter presents
fewer problems because there has
been distinct progress in reirstatinS
Europes' own transportation and dis
tributing channels"