Askov American., 1943-12-02

children, but that the Germans had
taken the food, and the operation
must, therefore, be stopped. We
would have given them moral en-
couragement, we would continue to
enjoy their affection and friendship,
and we would have given the lie to
the Nazi propaganda that these peo-
pie are starving because of our block
ade.
Thus, the very worst thing that
could happen would be to our ad-
vantage. But experience indicates
that the Germans would not take the
food and that the children would be
saved.
Objection No. 2. The Germans
might not take the food which we
send, but would take an equivalent
amount of local food out of the
country.
If the operation were properly con-
trolled, they could not do this. Let
me explain.
Every child helped should be re-
quired to exhaust its own ration card
before being given a supplement of
imported food. If the child eats all
of the local food to which it is en-
titled = it's full share just as
much as if no foreign relief were
available, it is obvious that there is
no equivalent left over as result
of the operation by which the Nazis
could profit. True enough, the Ger
mans take food from all of these
countries, but the point is that they
of our operations. In our colonies,
we completely exhausted the French
ration card of each child each month
before drawing upon our supplies of
imported food. We are certain, there
fore, that this did not leave any
direct way by which the Germans
could have profited.
Objection No. 8. The Germans
would reduce the ration cards of the
children whom we helped, so that
although the child might exhaust his
ration card, the card itself would
call for less food. which would leave
residue by which the Nazis could
profit.
From experience, can tell you
that the Germans did not do this. The
children whom we helped continued
to have exactly the same ration cards
as the children whom we were not
helping. This objection, therefore.
falls down in the light of experience.
The evidence on this point is very
clear, for the children receiving our
extra rations maintained their health
and continued to grow and gain
weight, while the other unfortunate
children stopped growing, developed
anemia, rickets and tuberculosis.
We should have been feeding at
least 100000 children in Southern
France alone, but we were not per-
mitted to bring food through the
blockade and had to depend upon
supplies which we had bought in
Asia, Africa and Central Europe in
1910 and the early part of 1941. This
forced us to limit the number Of
children fed to 100000, imposing
upon us the terrible necessity of de-
Gliding which children should eat and
which should starve. With the help
of the school physicians we selected
the most needy children who were
admitted to our canteens. The others,
who were suffering almost as badly,
would ask in polite though weak lit
tie voices why they too could not
eat. I never found satisfactory
answer to the question of why hum
cry child should not eat, especially
when I came home and found that
we are wasting more food than would
be required to save the lives of those
starving innocent little victims.
Of course, if the Germans discrim-
mated against the children being
helped, that would constitute viola
ton of the agreement and the opera
ton would Immediately be stopped,
but up to now they have not done
SO. *.
Objection No. 4. We cannot bur-
den the American taxpayer with
additional expense.
We are not asking for any money
from our Government or by private
subscription. Norway, Holland, Bel
gium and France have funds of their
own in this country more than suf-
ficient to pay for all of the food
that it is proposed to send. The
operation could be financed by un-
blocking a portion of these funds.
The heads of these governments have
all assured me of their eagerness 70
use some. of their resources in this
manner. It would cost the American
people nothing. These four countries
are mentioned because, until recent
ly at least, Denmark was not suf-
fering so severely, help is already
going to Greece, and it is not pos
Sih1e fO reach CzechO-SlOvakia PO-