The Washington herald., 1920-01-30
FOOD RELIEF
ESSENTIAL To-
AVERT CHAOS
Sec. Glass Tells Congress
Quick Aid Alone Will
Prevent Uprisings.
FOR sl25,ooO, 900 FUND
Canada and Argentina Are
Ready to Join in Action.
Britain Offers Ships.

Secretary of the Treasury Glass yes
terday supported the administrators
appeal to Congress for another loan
for food relief in Europe by telling
the House Ways and Means Commit
tee that the proposed assistance Is
urgently necessary to prevent a COM
plete overthrow OF orderly govern
ments in the famine areas.
Mr.. Glass added. however. that the
administration now is ready to con-
sent to a reduction of the original es-
Innate of s150.ooO.ooo to s15ooo.ooo. IT
had been agreed that this sum would
! be sufficient. in view of assurances
from the British. Canadian and Ar
gentine governments of their willing
ness to cooperate IN the relief work
Private charities also are counted on
to assist.
1t is essential that aid be immedi-
ateIy provided for the peoples of
Poland. Austria. Armenia and other
Western European countries. the COM
mittee was told. if 1t is to reach them
in time to check the starvation OF
thousands of men. women and chill
dren.
Food VIII Check Revolt.
Unless these peoples are fed and
their distress relieved to allay resent
ment." warned the Secretary. they
will rebel against all government, and
all efforts to get them to return to
production and peace will have been
in vain
The United states Treasury does
not desire to spend money unneces-
sarily. We cannot perpetually deaf in
billions. But the authorization of this
food relief is not only a humanitarian
thing to do. II is the safe thing to do.
even if we don't get cent of it back. :"
Representative Garner, Democrat.
bf Texas, asked why the money should
not be given outright instead Of ask
ing those bankrupt peoples to give
security for it." Mr-Glass replied /:
1T would not be sood policy 70 take
that course England. France. Canada
and Argentina are willing TO help in
this relief work. il we can get 1t
started under a comprehensive plan.
We should move. for the situation Is
nIenacing-
while this appropriation is asked
Ostensibly to feed starving people.
its real purpose is to stabilize gov
ernments." commented Representa-
tive Garner.
Would Use Grain Profits.
In part that is correct, re-
turned the Secretary. But il does
not involve an appropriation The
Grain corporation has the money, OF
which $5O.oO0.OOO is profits it made
in grain
the Treasury. for this money would
go back in the Treasury from the
Grain corporation" replied Repre-
sentative Young. Republican. of
North Dakota
That is So" admitted MIR. Glass.
The Secretary was asked If the
s5O.OOO.OOO of profits of the Grain
CORPORATION would not be sufficient.
Tn. committeeman, both Democrats
and Republicans. appear to have
agreed that this sum should be the
Hmit to which Congress ought to go.
tMr. Glass replied:
MIR. Hoover says that such
sum would do more harm than good.
think that Mr.. Hoover has been
conservative in his estimate. The
portion of the starving population
we could feed with S5O,OOo.0OO
would be so small that il would but
incite the other starving people to
revolt against all government. Less
than $125.0OO.O0O will not do.
The secretary added that if an
Inadequate sum is provided, the
loan probably would be a total loss.
hui if a sufficient supply of food
v.rs made available conditions
would be so improved that the loss
to the United States would be rela-
lively small.
Britain to Furnish ships.
Assistant Secretary of the Treas
u,-y Davis told the committee the
British have definitely promised to
provide all the shipping for the
Transportation of the relief sup
niles, ito the extent of her ability"
This. he explained. would include
rent of ships that the British gov
erntnent cannot provide. IL they do
not nave 10 pay TtnldlS III COLLARS.
The vessels. therefore. would be
rented from other countries than
. the United States
IL was estimated that the trans
portation would cost $4,000, 600.
Argentina has set aside an appro-
priation of 100000 for her share
in the relief work, and Canada
will aid. the total of the two coun-
tries being expected to reach about
$4,000. 900.
The supplies estimated by Mr..
Hoover as necessary for the relief
work include 100000 tons of flour and
jeoO.JOO tons OF fats.
Picturing conditions in the stricken
j, countries as literally horrible" Sec
retary Glass said women and children
are dying by the thousands. He
added:
a man who recently returned told
me that within two city squares in
one town in Austria he had counted
twenty-seven unburied bodies. Chill.
dren are growing up in a state of de-
formity that is pitiful to behold. The
conditions shock the human concep-
tion of misery. Those who survive
are too weak to bury the dead. The
afrr,osphere carries nesfiIanna.