Evening star., 1943-08-24
BY MORGAN BEATTY,

Associated Press War Correspondent.
NEW YORK, Aug. 24.-The men
behind the scenes of the Quebec con-
ference have wisely rejected any
idea that Germany and Occupied
Europe can be starved into submits
sion-either this year, or in any fu-
ture year
The decision is based on authen-
tic. reports brought painstakingly
out of Europe during the last four
years, and carefully checked by AL
lied medical and economic experts
These reports add up to the simple
fact that Germany and Occupied
Europe, by and large, are not starv-
ing, even though the continent is
existing on marginal diet.
Many people in Britain and the
United States have the erroneous
idea that food conditions are hope
less and are getting worse. This
idea springs, apparently, from pho
tographic evidence Of emaciated
bodies, published in books and mag
azine articles prepared for the most
part by refugees.
Propaganda Is Sincere.
This propaganda is based on fact.
1t Is honest and sincere, for the
most part. But we are likely to
overlook more important factor,
namely, that most of this material
covers only small or isolated areas
of Europe, or else they are written
to show up the obvious cruelty Of
the Nazis
OF course, there is no doubt what
ever of the calculating ruthlessness
of the Germans Their food prac-
tices began long before the war in
Germany itself and have been ex-
tended and refined in the occupied
areas. The Nazi food policy is based
on theory Of enslavement. People
who will not work for the Germans,
or who will not accept Nazi rule
placidly, find themselves without
food enough to keep body and soul
together. That's also true Of people
the Germans don't need.
But the fact remains that any,
body who can do full days work
for the Nazis will be fed by the
Nazis. Naturally, most people will
work It's habit of the human be-
ing For that reason alone, the Ger
mans have managed to give most
Europeans nearly adequate diet.
Proof Seen in Report.
Part of the proof that Nazi Eu-
rope cannot be starved into sub
mission lies in the last confidential
report of the Medical Committee Of
the Allied Postwar Requirements
Bureau-the predecessor of the AL
lied rehabilitation organizations now
forming
This report concerns itself with
epidemics in Europe during the last
two years-epidemics which are a
reflection of bad food and unsani-
tary conditions among sluggish pop
ulations. 1t shows that, except for
parts of Poland, Yugoslavia and
Greece, there have been only two
marked epidemic conditions in Eu-
rope in the last two years.
There were widespread epidemics
of diphtheria and scarlet fever in
both the winters of 1941 and 1912
More than double the usual number
of cases developed. This can be at
tributed largely to marginal diets,
lacking in proteins. But there is no
evidence that the death rate was as
serious as the epidemic would indi-
cate.
tuberculosis Increases.
There has been, of course.
marked increase in tuberculosis in
Europe, and a higher death rate.
Figures are lacking on the extent Of
the increase, but we should keep in
mind that even Britain, with better
than a marginal diet, is suffering
from an increase in tuberculosis.
The productive capacity of the mass
of workers is not affected by this
usual manifestation of war.
The deliberate starvation tactics
of the Germans have been largely
limited to Central Poland, Yugosla-
via and Greece, where there were no
Industries the Nazis could utilize for
war production. There the people
were deliberately robbed Of their
food supplies, and then left to sur
vive the best way they could. And
II is from those areas that most Of
the articles appearing in British and
American magazines have come.
The Yugoslavs, of course, and
other Balkan peoples, too. were
offered the privilege" Of leaving
their homes and going to Ger
many to work for the Nazis. Those
that did are we'll fed. The ones that
remained simply suffered the con-
sequences, and the consequences
were seriously unbalanced diets.
Three Countries Hit.
The results of these Nazi tactics
In Poland, Yugoslavia and Greece,
according to the er-Allied Com
mittee report, have been serious
epidemics of typhus, typhoid, para
typhoid and dysentery. They have
occurred both in the winters of 1941
and 1912. The death rates pre-
suma5ly were very high. And there
is no reason to believe that these
conditions will not appear again
this winter.
But these epidemic areas repre-
sent only a small proportion Of the
total population of Europe and cpl
denies in these zones will not seri-
ously affect the hard core Of German
production.
Only the Allied policy of scorching
and burning-reiterated this week
by Brendan Bracken, the British
Minister Of Information, in Quebec
can affect this solid core. Incl
dentally, just before ! left Britain
few days ago, Mr.. Bracken told
me that the people who are con-
fident the war in Europe will end
this year are simply doing lot OF
foolish and wishful thinking.
Keep People Sluggish.
There are experts. of course, such
as DR.. Godfrey H. Bourne, the
famous oxford University nutri-
zionist, who point out that the Nazis
have deliberately fed a marginal
diet TO the people of Europe in order
to keep them too sluggish for con-