The New York herald., 1920-01-04
FAMINE MENACES
CENT? RAL EUROPE,
ASSERTS BR|T0N
Sir William Goode Says Allies
Must Furnish Help With
out Delay.

! LONDON, December 10 (by Associated
Press).-Sir William Goode, British Direc-
tor of Relief. who recently returned from
a tour of the war impoverished countries
of Europe. declares that unless the Allied
and associated governments provide cred
| its for food and raw materials Central
| Europe Is likely to become "a desolate
waste of seeding thistles." England, he
asserts, cannot do anything likely to be
effectual unless the United States ex-
tends credits in proportion to her means
The crisis in Central Europe, Sir William
adds, is of such dimensions and COM
plexity as to defy isolated or individual
effect
Speaking before the American Lunch
aon Club recently, lie said You can
not heal the wounds of Europe by driblets
of government relief or labs of human
ty. The day for palliatives is past.
Emergencies such as that in Austria will
not wait for the emergence of the League
of Nations. Little nations generated by
the self-determination incubator OF the
peace conference are likely to disappear
even before they are old enough to SOW
their wild oats.
Need Immediate Help.
"A comprehensive and far reaching fi-
nancial arrangement must be quickly ar
rived at by the-allied and associated gov
ernments unless half of Central Europe
! is to be a desolate waste OF seeding this
ties. The key to the economic arch is
organization OF credits for food and raw
materials and the export of manufac-
lures on regular and ascending scale
| from the countries receiving such credit.
| with the present value of the pound
sterling and with the present positions OF
French and Italian exchanges, it is evil
dent that any such comprehensive cred
! ii scheme will be futile " SIS the United
States takes generc part. Great
Britain has already borrowed. in partner
ship with France and Italy, SIS. .Oo0, 900 from
the United States to feed Austria. T dare
say we could borrow more and further
discount our own exchange. but that
would be only palliative which in the
long run would do neither Austria, our
selves nor the world any good.
"Of one thing I am quite certain and
that is that if Central Europe and the new
nations are allowed to stew in their own
juice, the whole world will suffer. In any
case, whatever remedy may be adopted,
4 it will involve on both continents n de-
mand for common sacrifice and FOR COM
mon stimulation OF production. To use
Mr. Hoovers blunt expression - Europe
must work or starve.
England Ready to Aid.
II think / am authorized to say that if
the United States can see their way to
take part in some such comprehensive
provision of credits as / have suggested
the British government and the British
| people will be prepared, and I think
| rightly prepared, TO strain still further
the resources which have been so impov-
erished by war.
IF that opportunity is not taken I am
! inclined to fear that the great relief work
| done by Mr. Hoover of which America is
justly proud. will so down to posterity
as a task only half done realize that
| Il.
such, for instance, the unison or un-
official American financial effort with
operations that may be under the con-
| troll or European governments, but have
unwavering faith that these are not in
superable.
Describing the conditions prevailing in
| Central Europe as he observed them in
! his recent journey, Sir William con-
! tinued d:-"Locomotives from one country
dared not bulge across the frontier OF
another. Coal trains with their cargoes
are liable to be seized the minute they
come within the grasp OF a neighboring
army. The only real safeguard for a
| supply tram going from one country
| through another is the presence OF a lone
British Tommie, who. perched on the ca
boose and knowing no language but his
own placidy escorts the few exchanges
of food and raw materials which have so
far enabled severa, of the countries to
keep body and soul together
Famine Is Widespread.
! CzechoSlova<ia. Poland. Hungary and
Austria, ne declared, are all confronted
with large shortages OF food. In nearly
all Central European countries the pro-
duction of cereals had been reduced at
least one-third by lack of cattle. fertiliz-
ers and fodder.
| Even IL credits We're supplied there would
remain a vicious economic circle to be
broken. Shortage of coal halted trans
portation and caused industries to slack
up or stop This prevented export or
goods, and in consequence the countries
had no exchange with which to purchase
IN foreign markets the food or raw ma
terials on which they rely 10 maintain
existence. For lack of Polish coal people
die in Vienna. Jugoslavia and Roumania.
which have a surplus Of foodstuffs for
export do not want to sell il to nearby
countries which need il. but prefer TO
sell it for dollars. sterling or francs, so
as to establish credits for raw materials
with which TO rcstart their industries.
| Sir William said that the reparations
sub-commission sitting at Vienna was en-
deavoring - deliver coal TO Austria and
Middle Europe. Other allied organiza-
tons were aiding in this and in supplying
food. notably the American Child Food
Organization. one of Mr.. Hoovers finance
legacies to Europe.