Evening star., 1943-10-24
Major Disaster Developing Dnper
Haiti
Continued From Page CID

to take some land out OF food produc-.
ton. That has given rise to criticism
in a country where malnutrition is,
chronic.
Fennel points out, however, that an
effort was made in each instance to
leave the peasant farmer an acre or
an acre and half of land for food
use around his little thatched house.
The productivity achieved by the peas
ant farmers Is in any event only a
fraction of what the acreage would.
yield under more thorough cultivation
Shada's president hopes to increase
food production even though rich land
has been put into cryptostegia. The
wages paid to cryptostegia workers go,
according to Fennell, for the most part
for food. Workers and their families
get enough to eat and their capacity
to work Immediately increases.
Shada is going in for an extensive
health program. This year $4,000 Is
being spent on atabrine tablets to coun-
teract malaria and on other health
measures. With this must go painstak-
ing rudimentary education. To get even
the most primitive form of sanitation
the outdoor privy-would take long
education campaign and this with an
illiterate peasantry. The same thing ap-
plies to any effort to raise dietary stand
ards and induce different eating habits.
So Far Content.
The common man" here in Haiti is
a plant individual who appears to ac-
cept his lot with an amiable fatalism.
To break into the ancient world in
which he lives means to begin by teach
ing him that he has wants" 1t is very
easy to go astray through lack of knowl-
edge of his world. When Shada was
being set up some one in Washington
suggested that the basic contract should
contain labor clause and in order to
prevent child labor each individual en-
ployed should be required to produce
birth certificate. This in a country
where the informal marriages of 95 per
cent of the people are not even recorded
and the birth of the children that all
women of d-bearing age produce an
nually pass unnoticed.
The contrast between Haitis peasan-
try and the elite of Port au Prince is
| marked. The latter are highly civilized
and charming people, many of whom
have been educated in France. They
incline a little to look down on the
ordinary visiting Americans lack Of
classical culture.
Most of this elite is with President
Lescot but minority is in opposition
to Haiti's President and to Shada. 1t
would be surprising If there were not
such an opposition to exploit real or
invented issues such as the problem Of
an adequate food supply.
Nevertheless for the long future
| some highly significant questions occur.
| Take. for example, the fact that a part
| of the Garde d Haiti is paid with Shada
| funds; necessarily to prevent possible
| sabotage from Axis remnants here and
| to check the acts of jealous and ma
| Hclous persons.
But what about future political
change? Must a given regime be per-
manently underWritten? No matter
| how benevolent regime may be Is
| such underwriting desirable? With the
best will in the world toward shada
| and the men of both countries who are
working to make this experiment in
inter- American cooperation a success
such questions. and others like them,
deserve a great deal of thought.
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