The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-03-06
HOOVER SEEKS
FOOD, and NOT
M0NEY,T0SAVE
EUR0PEH0RDE
Lack of Raw Material Threat
ems Anarchy in War
Devastated Nations
FOOD DRAFTS PROPOSED
TO RELIEVE RELATIVES
Starving Millions Crave Some
thing to Eat; Bankers
Receive Hoover's Plans

Receive Hoover's Plans
Herbert Hoover, chairman OF the
American Relief Administration, IL
addressing a circular letter to the
bankers OF America, in which 1904
draft measure is endorsed by the gov
ernments of Poland, Austria, Hun
gary. Czecho-Slovakia and Germany
in which millions of families in the
United States are affiliated WIN
families in the countries mentloneo'
Eastern and Central Europe, and to
them a large number in America are
desirous of giving personal assist
ance.
Hoover Explains.
To all those interested, Mr.. Hoover
addresses the following to the
bankers
lowing to the slow economic re-
covery of Europe, the depreciation
and exhaustion of it's securities and
the shortage of export commodity
production, due to the lack OF raw
material, the only hope Of large sec
ton passing the winter going into
sheer anarchy lies in their again OBJ
tanning food supplies on some basis
of support from America. .
"Throughout the whole of Central
and Eastern Europe the food supply
of the people falls into two classes:
First, the ration issued by the gov
eminent; second, illicit circulation OF
food available to those who have a
sufficient amount of money. The
government ration is necessarily
meagre and nowhere sufficient to
properly maintain life, and must be
supplemented. Under these circum-
stances, the scramble for such supple
mentary margin has placed the price
of the illicit food supplies entirely
beyond the reach of the great bulk
of the population. To illustrate: A
single ham outside the ration sys-
tenn sells for as high as one hundred
and fifty dollars.
Plan For Solution.
"1n cropping for a solution of this
problem we have decided to under
take measure on the following
basis, as we believe it will contribute
largely to relieve the situation:
There are three to four million
families in the United States with
family affiliations in Eastern and
Central Europe. Many OF them are
DESTROYS of giving direct personal as
sistance to these relatives and
friends. Some are endeavoring to
perform this service by preparing or
purchasing packages of food for over
seas shipment. In some cases the
packing and extra freight involved
adds one hundred per cent to the
cost. We are proposing to solve this
difficulty by establishing warehouses
to carry stocks of staple foodstuffs
in European cities where distress is
particularly acute. We propose to
sell, in America. orders upon these
warehouses in me form of Food
Drafts which can be transmitted to
friends or relatives in Europe. We
propose to charge the buyer Of the
Food Draft the factory cost of the
food plus a reasonable margin to
cover cost of transportation and in
surance Profits, if any accrue, will
be turned over to the European Chill
dren's Fund.
1.-THE object of this plan is to add
to the total stock Of available food
supplies in Central and Eastern Euro
pean countries. Under an arrange
ment set up with the governments OF
these countries, this food will be al
lowed to revofve outside the rationing
system, with the hope that enough
food will be injected to reduce the
pressure on the narrow marginal sup
plies The officials of these new gov
ernments are endeayoring to impress
upon the American people that it is
useless to remit money to family
in Central or Eastern Europe with
the hope of improving its food situa-
tion The sum total of food now
available in Central Europe is insult
ficient to keep the population alive,
and under these circumstances money
thus becomes that much paper so far
Is nutrition is concerned. A hungry
man wants food, not money, and un-
der the arrangement outlined above.
we can meet his need. I feel that
you will agree that such an enter
prise, organized on thoroughly bus
mess basis, will effect a considerable
amount of actual relief abroad. l
am informed that the president of
the American Bankers Association
states that the association will CO.
operate in all possible ways in the