Detroit evening times., 1945-03-23
BEHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
MaIlon

WASHilNGTON, March N--
w Mr.. Roosevelt read the
Byrnes order for a critical in
quiry into food exports TO his
press. conference -aS-itit were
fresh news. although il had been
in the papers five days.
Then he proceeded TO say
what sounded precisely the OPP
posite-namely that the de
cent thing TO do was to con-
tinue exports for the hungry in
Europe.
AS a result some of the news
papers carried follow-up stories
that Mr.. Byrnes was really go
ing to find out whether Britain
had surplus stores of foods and
would surely Y-iimItfuture- -ex-
ports, while in an adjoining
column came Mr.. Roosevelt's
pronouncement implying that
what Byrnes was up to, was not
decent.
THE Lehman crowd in UNRRA
Il got to the President and
convinced him il would be un-
wise to limit exports of foods or
even investigate the subject
very thoroughly in view of all
the promises made about feed
ing Europe.
Now Byrnes had started his
investigation of food exports be-
cause he knew meat shortages
here were becoming critical and
obvious 10 the public, at a time
when congressman were learn
ing the British, If no other ma
ton. had accumulated stores.
Most experts here thought
Byrnes was right. He did not
write the order. II was prepared
for him by the War Food Ad-
miniStration MARVIN Jones, ad-
ministratorl and was less than
WFA demanded. WA really
wanted not only to cut exports
rather than investigate"
them but even wanted the
army 10 retrenCh buying.
WFA was greatly alarmed,
and incidentally If its policies
had been followed all through
this food situation, there now
would be no shortages.
NOW that Mr.. Roosevelt has
~ spoken thus, few people eX-
pect anything from the Byrnes
investigation" Nor can much
be anticipated from both the
House and Senate investiga-
tions into food, as both commit
tees are in the hands of men
who will follow administration
policy more eagerly than an
noying factS-if they can find
out what administration policy
is on this subject.
| cannot. The way / figure il,
Mr.. Roosevelt liked the feed
Europe policy for publicity pur-
poses. and his own food au-
thoritieS would rather appease
the public in this country, and
the conflict is mainly over what
is the best publicity, rather
than where 10 get more food.
This conclusion is inevitable
because no one can get more
food. either here or in Europe.
Various figures estimate hog
production this year under last
year up to as much as 40 per
cent (farm bloc figure, which
Is far too high.D
TIlE hog producers asked for
Il an increased quota from the
government and got decrease.
The floor price is 10 be run
down from S13.50 10 $3.50 July
] because the War Food Ad-
ministration was over-ruled by
ByrneS, who chose the Bowles
OPA policy instead, thus limit
ing the price to the consumer,
but discouraging production.
The ceiling price on cattle is
TO be run down from S18 to SIT,
dlScouraging beef production.
Now the feed cribs are bulg-
ing full and the cattle feeding
lots are empty. While the
number Of cattle in the country
is greater than last year, the
government h a discouraged
feeding, and there will be less
meat from the greater crop.
THIS being the case, you