Evening star., 1943-05-19

sentiment could rally.
1t proposed, too, that the con-
ference urge the governments it
represents to pledge to their peoples
and to each other they will accept
continuing responsibility for seeing
that the basic standard of nutrition
be maintained.
The conference was formally
opened last night and today settled
down to its big task of making plans
to fill the stomach of the world.
The big three" in the agricultural
problem are production. distribution
and consumption. Involved in the
solution of these matters are proper
nutrition for health. removal of
trade barriers where necessary, and
maintenance of purchasing power.
DIR. Kou Speaks.
The delegates. at the first session
Of the conference, heard DR..
Kou, chairman of the Chinese dele
cation, put into words an expression
Of the hope of the conference that
suitable machinery may be erected
to press for improved nutrition and
the health of the world. He said:
1T should be possible to draw up
tentative plans for setting up suit
able machinery to continue and
carry forward the work of this con-
ference"
DR.. Kou was speaking for the
delegations of the participating
governments in response to the ad-
dress of welcome delivered by Judge
Jones.
The conference. meeting in pie
nary session in the Empire room of
the Homestead Hotel first listened
to message from President Roose-
welt. The President expressed his
regret that he could not be present
to welcome the delegates. Urgent
matters in the prosecution of the
war;" he said, made it impossible.
He strongly intimated, however.
that he would come to a meeting of
the conference before it closed.
The Chief Executive sounded a
note of future international CO.
operation to meet postwar condi-
tions. If the nations are to sue
ceed in bringing about freedom of
want, he said, they must take all
necessary steps to develop world
food production so that it will be
adequate to meet the essential nu-
trltlonal needs of the worlds popu-
lation. And they must see to it that
no hlndranceS, whether of inter-
national trade, of transportation or
OF internal distribution, be allowed
to prevent any nation or group of
citizens within a nation from OBJ
tanning the food necessary for
health. Society must meet in full
its obligation to make available to
all its members at least the mini
mum adequate nutrition"
Other Talks Predicted.
The President predicted there
| would be other United Nations con-
ferences extending our collabora-
tion from war problems into impor-
tant new fields" only by working
together" he continued, can we
learn to work together, and work
! together we must and will
Judge Jones. in his address to the
delegates, insisted that the solution
of the food problem was of major
and vital interest to the world.
Something, he said, must be done to
make use of the surpluses of farm
products and to prevent famine in
the future.
He said: IF by the exchange of
views and consideration of these
questions we can produce a better
understanding and promote the flow
of farm commodities and the articles
produced therefrom into the mar
kets OF the world; If we can leave
the peoples of the world freer and
more able to produce and secure the
things they need. if we can make it
possible for surplus products to be
distributed and used and thus pre-
vent them from overlooking and
overwhelming the distribution ma.
chinery of the countries in which
such surpluses have been backed up
for lack of a market, we will not
only have achieved a great world
wide humanitarian objective, but
each of us will have helped to
promote the economic and social