Evening star., 1942-03-24
Competitive HUNGER

Competitive Hunger
1t is a sad commentary on our war;
blighted times that spring should be
the period in which food problems
become most acute. Under normal
peacetime conditions, our civilization
insures sufficiency throughout the
year. But wars voracious appetite
devours surpluses and brings on
chronic deficits. During the long
winter months, the warning countries
have been dipping constantly into
the carry-overs from last autumn's
harvests. BY spring, food reserves
have run low and must be carefully
stretched until the next {arvests,
still months away.
Even favored America, though
assured OF basic foodstuf1s, is having
lesson in scarcity by its impending
sugar ration, caused by large d.
versions 81 sugar stocks from human
consumption to war uses. Those
stocks cannot be built up until the
cane crops, foreign and domestic,
and expanded beet sugar harvests
this summer partly redress the
deficit. Our dietary shortages, how
ever are as nothing compared to
Europe's plight in its third consecu-
tive war spring. There, virtually
everything edible is short, and most
foods are either strictly rationed or
are entirely unobtainable.
The great war Of generation ago
taught that starvation is the most
terrible Of weapons. This grim les
son has been taken to heart; so,
from the very beginning of the pres
ent struggle, the war has been in one
aspect a remorseless duel Of COM
petitive hunger, waged respectively
by the British naval and German
U-boat blockades. Each recurrent
spring has seen belts drawn tighter,
and this season both sides appear to
be hard hit.
Britain as yet has escaped the most
severe consequences of blockade. No.
body goes chronically hungry, but the
drastically rationed diet is drab and
monotonous. Meat Is getting scarcer,
white bread is forbidden, eggs are an
exciting rarity, while luxuries Of all
kinds have disappeared. Conditions
are strikingly revealed by the growth
Of the so-called black market"
where the traditionally w-abiding
Briton breaks food-ration rules with
an ingenuity reminiscent Of our own
lawless practices under prohibition.
For the past two years Germany
has been staving of the British naval
blockade by Systematically plunder-
ing q conquered or browbeaten CONT
nent. But despite merciless lootings
which have reduced some countries
like Greece and Poland to mass
starvation, the Germans themselves
are going short this spring. Begin
ming April 6, basic rations of bread,
meat and fats In the Reich will be
drastically cut. And it should be
understood that those rations have
never been much above the subsist-
ence level. The German government
frankly warns its people that scant
relief can be expected from the con-
quered regions Of Russia, 50 thor
oughly "scorched" by the retreating
Reds last autumn. Thus the specter
Of hunger stalks across the conti-
nent, though the Germans presum-
ably will be the last to starve.
Both in Britain and on the CONT
nent, summer vegetables and fruits
will alleviate the crisis two or three
months hence. But harvest prospects
are none too good after q severe
winter and a three-year lack of
fertilizers for the hard-pressed soil.
After.a 4 fourth war winter what will
next years spring disclose7