Askov American., 1943-07-01

it is available and sa&za ~ III
not rationed. These officials forsee
a serious fuel shortage next winter
Rationing of coal is inevitable
Food for Starving Children.
The food shortage in occupied Eu-
ropean countries is becoming very
serious. 1t is already alarmingly ser
iouS in unfortunate Poland and the
Low Countries. For month or more
l have been giving considerable time
to the matter of getting food into
these countries for the starving chill
dren.
Most of the occupied countries have
large gold surpluses on deposit in
New York and London that can be
used for relief purposes but the rub
is to get the food to them because
of the blockade maintained by Brit
ain. AS l outlined in my weekly let
ter several weeks ago the food can
be purchased in South America, trans
ported in Swedish ships and distri-
buted under the auspices of the In
ternational or Swedish Red Cross or
CARNATIONS but so long as the block
ade is maintained as at present moth
ing can be done to relieve the dis
tress of the millions of children who
not alone suffer the pangs of hunger
but are racked with disease.
When 1 spoke to Churchill about
it a month ago he thought it would
weaken the war efforts of the United
Nations to lift the blockade even to
permit few thousand tons of pow
dered milk to be shipped in. Later
went to New York and talked to
for the plan and SCOTS at the idea
that it would impair our war effort.
On last Thursday, accompanied by
Congressman Christian Herter of
Massachusetts, 1 called upon Cover
nor Herbert Lehman, whom the
President recently named to head the
office of Foreign Relief and Rehabili-
tation Operations We found Mr.
Lehman very sympathetic but he said
that it would be necessary to first
sell Churchill on the idea. One word
from President Roosevelt would open
the blockade sufficiently to get life
saving food to the starving and dis
eased kiddies in the occupied coun-
tries. There is no doubt but that
he is favorable to feeding them but
he has to deal with man who is
very set in his ideas. Fortunately,
through Lease-Lend and our vast
production ability, we hold the whip
hand and I am very hopeful that we
will be able to crack the nut before
cold weather sets in.
Home Front Imperiled.
President Roosevelt's well known
dislike for tackling undesirable jobs
is responsible for the very serious
situation now existing on the home
front. Only last week five Democratic
Senator comprising subcommittee on
war mobilization charged the Roose-
welt administration with such bung-
ling, confusion, lack of decision and
internal wrangling that the nation
faces crisis at home. They urge the
creation of a domestic high command
to assume overall control of produc-
ton and economy and coordinate the
entire program of supplying the ma
tons fighting men. Last month, they
said, has seen the domestic war pro-
gram sag dangerously and civilian
morale has fallen as result in in
decisive management of domestic
economy.
AS a leader the President has sew
eral serious defects, the most serious
of which is his extreme reluctance to
delegate powers to others. He in
Sists on being the final arbiter in
everything that comes up and that
all of his subordinates shall go to him
for approval before final action can
be taken This has resulted in need
less delays and confusion when there
is imperative need for speed. Ger
tainly, his handling of the coal strike
has been timid and worse. For the
third time since the outbreak of
World War II John L. Lewis has
successfully challenged and defied all
constituted authority and as this is
written there is no certainty that the
President will sign the Connally-
Smith Anti-strike bill, which recently |
passed both Houses of Congress by
overwhelming majorities. If he We
toes this measure we will make a |
determined effort to pass it over the
veto, but that would require two
thirds vote in each House. If he per-
mits the measure to become law
without his signature it will be re-
garded by the country as desire to
appease both sides.
The Presidents latest proposal
that the draft age be raised to IS so
that he may order the strikers into
uniform is not being received with
favor because it is felt that it is
merely an attempt to confuse the
issue, if not to pass the buck.
Brilliant Military Successes.
There is a silver lining to every