Evening star., 1943-05-21
French Nation S Life
In Danger, Delegate
To Food Farley Says
AIphond Asserts People
Get Less Than Half Of
NutritionoI Needs
Earlier Story on Page A-l.)

BY stan Correspondent Of The Star.
HOT SPRINGS, Va. May 2l.-'If
the war continues many months,
France, even as Hitler wills 1t, is in
danger of DEATH" Herve Alphand,
chairman of the French delegation
to the United Nations Food Confer
ence, said in a statement to the
press today.
Il will cite you only few figures
which Illustrate our present posi-
tion," he said. France occupies,
alas, = very low rank In the dietetic
scale of Europe. The present food
ration represents no more than ], 100
calories per day per person, whereas
2,400 calories at least are necessary
to insure normal diet. Each
Frenchman Is allotted only half as
much meat and sugar, only one
third as much fat and two thirds as
much bread as are made available
to the German"
M. Alphand, who is representing
both the De Gaulle and Giraud fac
tions, commented that despite all
the efforts of the Nazis to spread
discord, France is showing a united
front at this first international con-
ference held by the United Nations.
Conferred With Both Leaders.
M. Alphand flew from London,
where he had first consulted Gen.
de Gaulle, to Algiers to confer with
Gen. Giraud before coming to the
conference here.
Approving the food conference
and its objectives, he said, France.
great agricultural country whose
sovereignty extends over so many
fertile colonies In every continent,
must, to keep faith with her tradi-
tions, bring her collaboration to the
task which has been undertaken.
For many years the resources of
France and her empire have assured
her practically complete nutritional
autonomy.
Nov, In spite OF this relative in
dependence, the standard Of living
Of the French population was not
particularly high, when compared
with that Of neighboring countries.
But II the situation was not COM
pletely satisfactory before the war
what can we say about the present
state of affairs? After three years
Of German occupation the agri-
cultural production of France has
declined considerably. A large part
OF the peasant manpower-nearly
TOO 900 men-is imprisoned In Ger
many
Must Re-establish Capacity.
There is not Frenchman outside
his homeland who does not have his
eyes constantly hxed with anguish
on the mechanism Of methodic de-
struction, the fruit of the diabolical
genius of Nazi Germany. For us,
one thing counts above all: How to
save this people from hunger as soon
as it is liberated. We know that. in
spite Of all efforts. relief an indis-
pensable measure. will be able to
cover only a. small part OF our i'm
mense needs, because both mari
time tonnage and the resources OF
the world are limited. The re-es-
tablishment Of agricultural capacity
in the homeland and in the colonies
is, thus. the first aim Of French food
policy.
I'm order to effect this recovery
1t is necessary that all of the coun-
tries whose territories escape direct
control by the enemy, produce and
accumulate. henceforth, not only
relief supplies. but also those means
Of production whose importation
will be indispensable for the resto-
ration of the soil. That Is the only
way by which Europe may be saved
from an economic and social disas-
ter which would disrupt the entire
world.
But restoring French agricultural
production means more than simply
reviving the old order. Gen. De
Gaulle said in a recent speech ad-
dressed to the French people: THE
structure Of our future will be new
On all the fields of suffering and OF
struggle where q clear-sighted and
fraternal people are being revital-
lied, the great mass of Frenchmer
have decided that when once the sur
OF liberty reappears. they will follow
new road toward new horizons"