Evening star., 1941-07-30
British Food, Short in Parts,
Found Ample for Population
Supplies Lacking in Quantity Not Yet
A Problem for the Housewife

and a quarter pound of bacon. 1t
could exc out this allowance with
unrationed sausage, fish or poultry.
To be sure, the fish was costly, the
poultry was likely to be very tough;
but they helped. Dried fruits could
be found here and there.
Nobody lacked vegetables, and
even English cooks were learning
that potatoes, carrots and brussels
sprouts need not always be boiled.
Good fresh salads were made out of
a mixture of finely chopped raw
carrots and raw cabbage.
Spring brought lettuce and the
incredibly long English cucumbers.
Bottled cidar was abundant. The
national loaf" of whole wheat
bread was singularly palatable as
we'll as nourishing, and more and
more people were somewhat reluc-
family adopting it.
No Major Complaints.
But since Britons, like Americans,
love to complain, and since grum-
bling over minor ills is safety valve
for people who take major calami-
ties silently, protests over the food
situation are incessant.
Some profteering, bootlegging Of
rationed foods, and other evils are
inevitable. The only wonder is that
they were not more frequent.
- Complaints were often heard that
retailers gave special favors to old
customers and large-scale buyers.
Many retailers were accused OF dol
ing out some much-prized food. like
oranges or chocolate, only to those
who bought largely of some excess
commodity; no lettuce purchase, no
orange!
The hunt for the profiteer is on"
declared Lord Woolton on May %.
The number of food inspectors was
being increased. Indeed, every one
knew so well what the fixed prices
for most commodities was-2 cents
pound for potatoes, % cents a
pound maximum for cheese, 46 to
50 cents a dozen for unstamped eggs,
and SO on-that cheating was ex-
tremely difficult. Lord Woolton IA
vors licensing all food dealers, but
other government officers oppose the
proposal.
The government has made just
one conspicuous failure: Its plans
for communal feeding centers have
never gained real acceptance. The
5000 local authorities of the island
have refused to show any warmth
for them. Behind the local authori-
ties is a vast public indifference,
for Britons like best to eat at home,
and a natural amount of hostility
on the part of restaurateurs and
caterers. BY the middle Of May the
Ministry of Food had approved
nearly 800 of the so-called British
restaurants" in 156 communities;
it had taken over 284 evacuee CEN
tiers from the Ministry of Health
and was serving food in them, and
it had approved ITO meal centers"
operated by the London County
Council. All these agencies were
serving about $4,000 meals daily.
But what is that in nation OF
Al, 100000?
Much Saving Cited.
The communal feeding centers
save food, fuel and labor. In one
which I visited at Oldham, near
Manchester, converted from an ele-
mentary school, a hot, three-course
meal could be had for 9 pence.
1t included bean soup, a small piece
of roast beef with potatoes and
carrots and custard or rice pud-
ding. Such centers are invaluable
when a great blitz occurs. But the
scheme has not yet gained mo-
mentum.
On the whole, Britain is doing
well as to food. No one is suffering.
Enough bread and meat are on
hand for years supply; large
reserve of condensed milk is kept
for an emergency. In the midst of
war not little valuable educational
work has been done-and Britain
sorely needed it. The Ministry of
Food has enlisted the radio, cinema
and press to teach housewives how
to make better use of vegetables,
cereals and legumes. 1t has tried
to wean lower-class Britons away
from the old tea-and-bun diet, the
soggy boiled potato, the bread-and-
dripping breakfast.
1t has set up food-advice centers,
sent out lecturers on nutrition and
held demonstrations in shelters and
factories. 1t has created a national
milk scheme, which Lord Woolton
calls his principal achievement,
and under this during April and
May about three million women
and children were receiving milk
either at low cost or free.
After the war the British will
know more about soups, whole
wheat breads, salads. new ways of
cooking vegetables and fruits. They
may not keep on using Woolton pie
made of diced potatoes, cauli-
flower, turnips and carrots, with q
little oatmeal, q pastry crust and
brown gravy-but they may retain
some other healthtul innovations.