Evening star., 1940-12-11
Food Situation Now
AsGrim asin 1917,
Britain Is Told
Task Of Defeating Subs
'TrebIy as Difficult
Farm Minister Says
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
LONDON, Dec. 11.-R. S. Hudson,
Minister of Agriculture, declared to-
day that Britains food situation
was "just as grim" as it was dur
ing the difficult World War days of
1917.
Mr.. Hudson told a farmers club
in London that the British Nays
task of defeating the German coun-
ter-blockade Of submarines and
long distance bombers was now
doubly or trebly as difficult" as then.
Urging the farmers to increase
home production, Mr.. Hudson said
The situation today is just as grim
as when Mr.. Lloyd George (then
Prime Minister started his intensi-
fed food production campaign in
1911"
Farm Labor Must Contribute.
The government, he added, "is
trying to adjust production so as
to produce foodstuffs that will keep
the people healthy as well as alive -
He said farm labor would have to
contribute to the steadily increas-
Ing demands of the armed services
and that, apart from conscientious
| obJectorS sent to the farms, any ad-
ditional labor would have to be fe-
male.
The same situation was debated
IN the House of Lords.
There Lord Strabolgi, Labor peer,
declared that Britain's convoy
system needed overhauling and Lord
Templemore predicted energetic
measures by the navy and air force
which, he asserted, would counter
effectively and defeat" the Nazi
threat.
Strabolgi declared that the situa-
ton was serious" but not "desper-
ate" owing to "a large accumulation
of stores and because of heavy
cargoes which have come through
unscathed"
Timidity in Buying Cited.
Strabolgi said there is always
danger in war of relying too much
on methods which were successful
in the last war" The present con-
voy system has been built on the
World War model.
I'VE have been too timid and too
slow in buying or chartering avail
able neutral tonnage other than
American" the Labor peer went on
Chances have been lost again and
again by the Ministry of Shipping.
There should be a purchasing
commission in every country with
merchantile marine, buying or char
tering all available shipping =.
There is need for much stricter
rationing and tighter prohibition
of all unnecessary imports"
Germany's World War sink-at-
sight campaign began in February,
1917, backed up by Ill sea-going
submarines. Losses that month for
the British, Allies and neutrals
totaled 260 ships or ass, 900 tons. The
figure next month was 338 ships
totaling $4,000 tons.
The climax was reached in April
when one out of every four vessel.
leaving the British Isles never re.
turned. The April figure, creates
of the war, was 430 ships, $50 ,0O(
tons.
Germany was building submarine.
faster than the allies could destroy
them. 1t was clear also that ar
effective system of securing tn,
British and allied seaborne trad,
must be found or the U-boat woulc
win the war for Germany. Thus wa!
the World War convoy system born.
As 1917 progressed it become ap.
parent that the U-boat threat hac
been countered. The German U.
boat strength, having reached it!
peak of 40 in October, was dwind-
ling. They were failing to impede
movement of British and United
States troops to France.
But Britain had had a narrow
escape. When the war was over II
became known that at the height o1
the unrestricted U-boat campaign
Britain had but six weeks Of food
s,Innlies.