The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-03-15


From NNo sources in the last few
days oppsoIs have been mode to Ameri-
ca 10 do What is essentially not Anneri-
eos business namely, to Try to pune
ture or weaken the British blockade OF
Germany.
Il is not Americas business for two
reasons First, the British people, not
the Americans. ore the ones who stond
Immediately TO lose their lives ond
freedom il the blockade should foil;
therefore, they ore primarily the ones
to decide what can be risked Second,
If any admission. Of foodstuffs to the
Continent should work to 0ernon i'd
vontoqS. the United Stotes would be
detecting with its left hand what 1t
hos Just voted to do with its right in
furnishing munitions to Britoin.
With these considerations firmly in
mind it is, appropriate to examine the
declaration by Admiral Jean Dorlon
from Vichy thot the French Novy It
necessary will convoy food ships to
unoccupied France, and the reiterated
proposition Of Herbert Hoover. on be-
half Of the Committee on Food for the
Small Democrocies, to set up soup
kitchens in Belgium.
As olwoys, war is made on women
and children. Thot they ore the SUIT
ferers as pitiobly as any casualties OF
bottle is the bitter foct brought out in
the discussions both as to Belgium and
as to unoccupied France. However,
that is not all As the British Embassy
points outIn reply to the Hoover pro-
posoIs. the civilian population Of Greet
Britain is suffering thousands Of cosuol-
ties from the air bombing directed
against it by Germany and is under
qoino severe privotions in foodstufts
and other comforts in an effort to win
freedom for themselves and others.
Admiral Dorlon makes the remark
obIe statement thot the Germans in
one instance have been more generous
and Humanitarian than the British
because they have consented to leove
in occupied France 2,OOO, 900 quintols
Of its own grain! This is grain, more
over, which under ordinary circum-
stonces would Be available to feed both
occupied and unoccuPied France.
W II is true that supplies Of bread
stuffs are less critical in Germon-domi-
noted Europe than are supplies Of fots
dnd oils. For this reason the British
may find It feasible to let some wheat
90 into unoccupied France There, also,
distribution might be more sotisfoctor-
lily poIiced against leokoees than in ter
ritories under German administration.
Mr.. Hoover ayers that his commit
tees pIon-which now envsoges stort
with soup kitchens for some 1900. 900
children and adults in BeIeium-wouId
involve no military advantage for the
Nozis as against Great Britoin. Safe
guards have been devised to assure thot
none Of the precious meats and fots
which would be imported should foli
into German hands, but this is not the
whole question.
As the British note points out, the
question involved is not one solely Of
q food blockade on one locality but Of
pressure on "the whole economic war
machine Of the enemy" in Germany
and its occupied territories. 1t may be
true that bread grains to be shipped
back into Belgium by the Germans
under the soup kitchen plan would
exceed any amounts taken out of BEL
GUM by them. But Belgium hos never
produced large proportion Of its own
food requirements What Of the sup
plies Of fots, meets, and dairy products
taken out Of the Netherlands. Den
mark. Norwoy, and Poland by the Ger
mans? II these we're equitobIy distrib-
uted there would be less hunger in the
occupied areas and German railways
would be somewhat less free to trans
port troops and munitions into the Bal
kons and elsewhere.
Under present conditions. the Brit
ish hold that arrival of food supplies
in .onv port Of the occuDied oreo en-.