Evening star., 1943-06-13

Harvesting of the full fruits of the re-
cent United Nations Conference on Food
ana Agriculture at Hot Springs, Va,
must wait for years; meanwhile careful
cultivation of the co-operational spirit
so evident there will be necessary if the
harvests are to be perennial.
The Americans sponsored deliberations
were unique in wartime international
relations. For the first time in history
the representatives of A friendly nations
planned for postwar world, not in usual
terms of boundaries, new territories, in
IDENTITIES, or other punishments and re-
wards. but in familiar language of more
food for men, women and children and
improvement of the welfare of all coun-
tries
Undersecretary of Agriculture Paul H.
Appleby, acting chairman of the Amer
lean delegation, while Federal Judge
Marvin Jones served as conference presi-
dent comedies that very little new came
out of the 17-day sessions. The final
recommendations were agreements on
what nutritionai and agricultural ex-
public officials have been discussing for
years as eminently desirable from ma
tional and international viewpoints. The
most important thing accomplished was
that the delegates unanimously voted to
work together and called for world Or
ganization whose purpose shall be to
bring about results each nation has pre-
viously sought for itself.
The first step in the actual establish
ment of this world organization will be
the appointment of one representative
from each participating country to an
interim commission, which, according
to the conference recommendations,
shall meet before July Is. This interim
commission will then propose to the A
governments the formation of a perma-
nent United Nations body whose func-
ton will be to bring about an expanding
agricultural production for the entire
world with increases of purchasing
power, lowering of trade barriers and
better distribution of agricultural and
maritime products.
Quick Results Unlikely.
Quick results cannot be expected. 1t
has been estimated that the interim
commission. which will sit in Washing
ton, will take from three to Is months
to work out plans for the permanent
International Food Office, or whatever
it is to be called.
The interim commission will have the
problem of its own organization. For
example, shall it be composed of scien-
tific Or technical persons. or shall the
representatives be political figures in
their own countries? Shall it set up a
single executive or an executive commit
tee to work out plans for the permanent
body, or shall the representatives set up
their own committees and report di-
rectly to their own governments asking
authority to act on specific recommended
tions?
Mr.. Applebv gave to the writer his
appraisal of the accomplishment of the
Hot Springs meeting and the prospects
Of the interim commission and the per-
manent organization The experience
gained by the American delegation. he
said. would be valuable in other inter-
national conferences, including the
peace conference, dealing with postwar
problems.
The conference" he said, will cause
no immediate changes in American
agriculture. None was expected That
was not the purpose of the meeting.
The same is true of other countries
Our immediate problem is wartime pro-
duction, subject not on the confer
ence agenda.
But we have made start on world
wide cooperation. We have shown the
small nations that their spokesmen will
be heard and their problems considered.
Hot Springs was not conference of
four or five great powers Perhaps the