Evening star., 1920-01-04
CENTRAL EUROPE NEEDS
CREDIT TO PREVENT RUIN
British Director of Relief Says
England Can Do Nothing With
out Aid of United States.

LONDON. December 90 Correspond
ence of the Associated Press).-Sir
William Goode. British director of re-
lief. who recently returned from a
tour of the war-impoverished coun-
tries of Europe. declares that unless
the allied and associated governments
provide credits for food and raw ma
terials. central Europe is likely to be-
come "a desolate waste of seeding
thistles." England. he declares. can
not do anything likely to be effectual
unless the United States extends cred
ITS in proportion to her means. The
crisis in central Europe. Sir William
complexity as to defy isolated or in
dividual effort
Speaking before the American
Luncheon Club recently. he said: You
cannot heal the wounds of Europe by
dr1blets of government relief or dabs
OF humanity. The day for pallatives
is past. Emergencies such as that in
Austria will not wait for the emer-
gence of the league of nations. Little
nations generated by the self-deter-
mlnation incubator of the peace con-
ference are likely to disappear even
before they are old enough to sow
their wild oats.
financial arrangement must be quick
~ arrived at by the allied and asso-
Grated governments unless half of
central Europe is to be a desolate
waste of seeding thistles. The key
to the economic arch is organization
OF credits for food and raw materials
and the export of manufactures on a
regular and ascending scale from the
countries receiving such credit. ..
1T is not a case of saying to the
United States. We will not do anything
more If you will not
The fact of the matter is that we
cannot do anything which is in the least
likely to be effectual unless the United
states is also prepared to extend her
credlts in proportion to her means. 1t
is no good being 'mealy-mouthed' about
admitting that we, who before the war
am inclined to think that the nations
participating in some such comprehen-
sive scheme of credits will in the long
run suffer no material disadvantage.
think / am authorized to say that
If the United States can see their way
TO take part in some comprehensive pro-
vision of credits as l have suggested, the
British government and the British peo-
pie will be prepared, and l think rightly
prepared, to strain still further the re-
sources which have been so impover-
ished by war
IF that opportunity is not taken ] am
inclined to fear that the great relief work
done by Mr.. Hoover. of which America
is justly proud. will go down to pos
terity as a task only half done. / realize
that there are many difficulties in the
way. such, for instance, as the unison
of unofficial American financial effort
with opera tions that may be under the
control of European governments. but
have unwavering faith that these are
not inSuperable."
The greater part of the $500, ,000. 900
worth of foodstuffs which had been de-
lvered in European relief since the
signing of the armistice was supplied
by the United States, Sir William said.
Our own part" he added, was limited
by our almost empty purse. Neverthe
less. the British government was able to
allot G12.500, 900 toward relief in Europe,
apart from credits to allies