Evening star., 1940-11-03

reorganization called for by such q sys-
TEN Of rationing.
Accordingly. We can expect hunger
and sickness from malnutrition in mil
lions Of European homes this coming
winter and early summer 1t will strike
whole sections that have largely been
dependent on imported breadstuffs In
the past, or where the war has produced
unemployment, as in Norway, or de-
stroyed export outlets, as in Southern
France. 1t will in particular hit those
families who have lost their homes. or
their breadwinners in the fighting, or
were already suffering from illness and
poverty when the war began. There will
not be the usual resources with which
to care for the suffering.
Stores to Run Down.
AS for Germany and Italy themselves,
they appear to have food enough, and
no doubt the distribution is well under
control Italy had normal crop of
wheat and of most other foodstuffs, but
rationing is of course necessary. The
populace will need to get along without
its usual amounts OF some desired items
in its diet, but no serious deficiency will
arise. AS for Germany and Austria,
they will probably be able to maintain
the present adequate breadstuffs ration
without difficulty and will transfer
enough milk and meats from the con-
quered countries to hold TO their present
ration Of these, which is somewhat re-
stricted But the present ration Of fats
may not BE- maintained through the
winter and spring even on its present
much restricted basis.
This takes us up to the summer of
1941. If the war continues, what then?
For the continent of Europe as a whole,
more serious food situation surely, al
though much can be done TO help. The
occupied areas will no doubt plant and
care for the next crop with more thought
for wartime exigencies They will con-
centrate more on essentials, more of the
crops will be grain to feed human beings
directly, and less to feed livestock.
Fewer Of the populace will be under
arms in the occupied states, but the
invaders armies may need to be fed
from local supplies in part.
But there is no escaping several i'm
portant factors for the worse. First,
there will be smaller reserves, If any. to
draw upon in the various countries. The
poor crop of this year has contributed to
this result. Second, there will no longer
be the large reserves of livestock to
slaughter. Third. gasoline for power use
on farms will probably be even less avail
able in these countries next spring than
1t was last. Fourth, and perhaps most
important Of all supplies of fertilizer for
crops, especially of phosphate, will be
low. The high productivity of German
agriculture of the last decades has been
based largely upon heavy use Of fer
tlllzerS, the phosphate part Of which has
come from the United States and North
Africa mainly Russia has low-grade
supplies which may possibly become a
substitute source
Germany proper, and the central bloc
OF states now closely associated with it
Austria, Czecho-Slovakia and Poland
have in the past been self-sufdcient as
unit as far as breadstuffs are con-
cerned, and would be next year with
normal yields, except for the additional
drain of large army in the field.
Issues Perhaps Not Simple.
The arguments against the Americas
supplying of food to Europe are obvious
enough and everywhere being repeated.
Possibly the issues are not so simple as
commonly assumed. The positions of
those who take a somewhat different DO
sition may be stated thus: Conceivably
some way could be found of getting
medical supplies and critical foods
directly to a few million of suf-
ferlng families in the occupied areas
and especially in Southern France, as
is now being done by the Friends
Service group in Poland. Even though
some small relief was inescapably
rendered thereby to the resources of
Germany, it would not be Of enough i'm
portance to affect the outcome of the
war. And the effect of it upon the atti-
tudes of the peoples in the occupied areas.
and especially in unoccupied France,
toward the democracies even while the
war IS on may have values for them
that will more than outweigh any i'm
mediate direct aid to the German food
resources.
Objections to such program will come,
as they see it, as largely from Mr.. Hitler
as from Great Britain. They do not
think that he will want the people in
his conquered territory to have an at
titude favorable to the democracies and
will therefore oppose their receiving any
help from them. What he has allowed
in Poland and what he might allow in
Belgium are birds of different feather.