The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-08-23

French francs.
The French government has
guaranteed to make good this pa
per German currency, which &C
tually has nothing else behind it.
This is painless method OF ex-
tracing food from the French
peasant. German purchasing
agents pay him in kreditenmarks
which he converts to francs; thus
he feels kindly toward the army
of occupation.
However, the net result is that
truck loads of livestock and grain
are being shipped from the French
countryside, first to feed the Ger
man army, and second into Ger
many itself.
Meanwhile there are certain
areas in France which, because OF
lack of transportation, actually
are starving. Similar conditions
exist in Belgium and Holland. In
the latter country, according to
Dutch diplomats in Washington,
Hollanders have been forced to
plant crops by the Germans, but
are blowing them up when Ger
man backs are turned.
1--WE would rather starve than
feed the conqueror," is the Dutch
slogan.
HOOyER'S FOOD RELIEF
The man who most vigorously
demands feeding these occupied
areas is Herbert Hoover. 1t has
not leaked out yet, but Hoover's
associates have gone much fur
ther into this than anyone re-
Allies. Hugh Gibson, ex-ambassa-
dor to Belgium, actually has en-
gagged in conversations with Of
ficials of Belgium, Holland and
Poland, regarding food Tor these
areas.
These conversations run exactly
counter to the State Departments
policy and also to the Neutrality
act, which bars American ships
from the war zone. Yet no food
can be sent to Belgium. Holland
and Poland except on American
ships, which would have to ira
verse the war zone in violation Of
the British blockade. State De-
partment policy today is one OF
cooperation with Great Britain
and not of violating the blockade.
Furthermore, U. s. Army and
Navy executives view the feeding
of Nazi-dominated Europe as
exactly similar to feeding an
enemy of the United States. They
contend that one of the most po-
tent weapons against Hitler is
hunger, and that for the United
States to feed his occupied areas
would be playing directly into his
hands.
As a result, some Administra-
ton Senators propose an inves-
tigatiOn by the Foreign Rela-
tiOns Committee of the food
relief activities Of Hoover and
his close associates. They point
to the Logan bill, which makes
it a criminal Offense for any
American citizen to conduct dip
IOmatic negotiations with a
foreign government. At one
time, when Mr.. Hoover himself
was i'm the White House, the
Logan bill came near to being
invoked against the late Sena-
tor B0rah.
These senators would also like
to investigate the fact that Am
bassador Gibson's wife is q Bel
gian, and that both are on close
terms with King Leopold. who
surrendered to the Nazis.
WILLKIE BITS
Two outstanding oddities about
Wendell Wilikie are that he
doesn't drive a car, does not own
a car, and doesn't carry a watch.
Everybody knows he went
to Indiana University; few know
he also attended Oberlin College
In Ohio (l9l6) AS a young
lawyer. Willkie fought the Ku
Klux Khan 4. He still thinks the
Democrat platform Of 1882. which
he supported, is one OF the best
ever written I. The gold re-
serve at Fort Knox viii probably
be an object Of WILKES campaign
attack. II was at Fort Knox that
ne trained as q private In 1917.
Estimated value Of Common
wealth and Southern. OF which
WliIkie was president. Is 0,000.-
600 Salary which Russell
Davenport OF Fortune sacrificed
10 Join Willkie was $4,000.
THE DUKES WALLTE WINDSOR