Askov American., 1943-12-02
Food For Starving
No Aid To Enemy

No Aid To Enemy
How to feed the starving chill
dren of European countries now
under the NaZi heel without
lending aid to the enemy has
been the subject of much bitter
debate in both this country and
Great Britain ever since the
German armies began tn cir
march of conquest.
DR.. Howard E. Kershner, di-
rector of the International Com
mission for the Assistance of
Child Refugees and a member of
other relief committees, in radio
address early this fall, gives
further enlightenment on this
matter, and answers the main
objections to the sending of food
to the occupied countries. His
address, in part, follows:
Hitler's proud boast that the Ger
mans are a superior race will come
true to the extent that we allow him
to destroy the freedom-loving people
of Europe by starvation and to rem
der those that are left, subnormal n
mind and body. People who have
eaten we'll are indeed superior to
those who are undersized and riddled
with disease.
1t is not only good charity, but
the best of strategy to save the starv-
ing children of the Nazi-dominated
countries of Europe. These people
are our friends and allies. They have
fought for liberty for centuries before
our country was born. They are still
fighting for it. They crave our moral
support and help. To save their chill
Jdren now would win their friendship
and affection forever. We need their
help now, and we shall desperately
need it in the reconstruction days
ahead. How will we ever reestablish
Democracy as the ruling philosophy
of government if we allow Hitler to
destroy the democratic peoples of
Europe?
At no expense to ourselves and
without using any ships or food which
we or our allies need, it is possible
to save many of these starving little
ones. 1t is not only human obliga-
tion, but it will help to shorten the
war.
Having recently discussed this mat
ter with many of the chief officials
of the American and British Gov
ernments; with the heads of the
Governments of the Nazi-occupied
countries; with the editors of the
leading British and American pub
ications; with thousands of individ-
uals in the question periods follow
ing more than 100 public addresses
IN these two countries, and with a
large number of correspondents in
both countries resulting from nearly
SO previous radio talks, should like
to answer every doubt and difficulty
that may be in your mind on this
subject, and to show from experience
how we can be sure that controlled
child feeding would not aid the
enemy, but would save the children;
would give courage and strength to
our friends and allies, and would
make postwar reconstruction much
less difficult.
Objection No. l. The Nazis would
take the food.
From four years experience di-
recting relief work in Europe, I am
glad to report that the Nazis have
never taken mouthful of our food.
Our own State Department is au-
thority for the fact that the Germans
do not take any of the 10000 tons
of food going to Greece each month,
that the operation is of no benefit
to Axis economy, and that it does
save the Greeks. 1 received the same
assurance from the Ministry of Eco
nomic Warfare in London last win
ter. Since the Germans do not take
the food going to Greece and since
they did not take our food in France,
it is reasonable to assume that they
would not take food which we might
now send to Norway, Holland, Bel
gium and France.
But assume the worst, suppose
they did take it, what would be the
result? AS only small amounts
would be sent at one time, they could
not seize more than enough for one
meal for the civilian population of
Germany. This, of course, would
Immediately bring the operation to
close. The small gain accruing to
Germany from having seized little
bit of food would be far outweighed
by the psychological advantage on
our side. Over the short wave radio,
we would tell our friends in Europe
that we were anxious to feed their