The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-02-27
The Question OF Food

w dSIllliS GOli, GU. 49,
If feeding the starving people of
Holland, Belgium and France means
aiding Hitler, then of course it should
not be done. 1t would be stupid null
LITIGATION of our efforts to help the
British win the war. But if a way can
be found to supply food to the fam
ished without doing that-and we have
the food-then lit is unthinkable that
it should not be done.
&*#
If a means can be devised which will
make it unnecessary to put any de-
pendence upon the word of Hitler and
which will not weaken the English
blockade, then the reason for help
ing with food the stricken populations
of those crushed countries are over
whelming. Nearly everybody i, will
agree about that. Of course, it is es
sential to accept the Judgment of the
British as to the feasibility of the plan.
They cannot be expected to increase
the frightful peril to their own women
and children of invasion and defeat.
Nor can they be expected to agree to
any proposal that would lessen the
force of the blows they are aiming at
their enemy in what clearly is NOR
tai struggle.
If the choice is between sending food
to these people and enhancing the
strength of the Nazis, then, terrible
as it is, the people will have to go
hungry. In battle involving their &C
tual existence, we must mot urge the
British to do anything that they have
reason to believe would add to their
risks. Nevertheless, this should not
cause the Administration and its more
ardent supporters Ito reject every pro-
posal made by Mr.. Herbert Hoover
so promptly that it seems the reason
for rejection is merely because Mr..
Hoover proposes it. Nor should the
British be diverted by this from APP
probation of the widespread desire in
America to aid the starving in these
thorough examination of Mr.. Hoov-
er's latest proposals.
In the first place, Mr. Hoover is a
patriotic American, as anxious to aid
Britain and defeat Hitler as anyone
in the country. His motives and his
ability are both above question In
the second place, no other living man
knows the horror and danger of starv-
ing populations or has had his expef-
fence in feeding them. In the third
place, his experience and his private
sources of information give him more
knowledge of the food situation in
these conquered countries than any
one else in America. He is entitled to
speak with authority on this subject.
*#*
The soup-kitchen plan of feeding
the Belgians, who are going to be
wholly out of food in March, for which
Mr. Hoover has now asked agreement,
is upon small scale. 1t is an expert
ment to see what can be done. Gen
eral Parshing has endorsed it, con-
WINGED that it can be operated without
aiding Hitler. 1t would involve some
risks, it is true, but the terrible ur-
gency of the situation would seem to
justify every risk except the single
risk of helping Hitler. That, of course,
must not be taken. In his recent adj
dress, Mr.. Hoover stressed not only
the inevitable starvation of millions,
unless food is quickly sent, but the
certainty of epidemic disease, from
which neither England nor the United
States can be protected.
*&*
On the surface the latest Hoover
plan seems practical enough at least
to give a trial. Perhaps the British
see flaws in it not visible over here
and, perhaps, the details could not be
worked out without giving advantage
to the enemy. In that event it cannot
be urged. There should be no pres
sure from US ON the British to agree
to anything that they, with their better
knowledge, regard as a handicap to
their offert to save themselves. But in
their own interests, as we'll as in the
interests of the conquered countries,
lit would seem that the British should
make their objections clear, so as not
to be put in the position of blocking
the feeding of hungry millions with
out adequate reason. Of course, if they
object, they have an adequate reason
but it would soothe a great many
people here who view the prospect of
famine and disease with dread to
know exactly what it is. At amy rate
they ought not to be deferred or in
fluenced by the malevolent yapping of
the chronic Hoover haters in the AID
ministration and out.
1t ought to be realized that Mr.
Hoover has many more friends THAI
enemies in this country; that when he
speaks about feeding famished people
fbo oo,1,1t1,1, 1,oooopi1ar ~, him, In ,r,,c :,