Detroit evening times., 1945-06-14
PAUL
N1ALLON
Behind
The News

w Without a fanfare or even
an audible mute note of the
hugleS, Mr.. Truman has eased
the handling OF European food
over 10 the army, AS much as
possible.
The rumbling congressional
diStrust of United Nations Re-
lief and Rehabilitation Admin
iStratlon and all the other gov
ernment bureaus directly or re-
motely connected with a
planned theological distribution
of foodstuffs abroad is unoues.
tionablv what inspired the cas-
ing process, The siding away
from them may be gradual and
limited.
UNRRA has $3.50 900, 900. and
has A few men in some Balkan
nations like Yugoslavia, beyond
The reach Of our army. But our
skilled army supply men are in
France, Belgium. Holland. Italy
and our part of Germany. They
knew enough about their busi-
ness to supply a victory.
THEREFORE il is quite nat
i, ural and logical for this
government 10 utilize their dis
tribution facilities. rather than
TO prod into action the half
dormant UNRRA, with its no.
tionS of handling food in a po-
litical way gaining lip-prestige
for America for doughnuiS.
The change no doubt will he
popular even among the hungry
IN Europe, AS UNRRA has not
been able 10 reach many with
much mote Italy for a prime
example.
Remember Mr.. Hoovers visit
10 MIR. Truman few weeks
back -,riae- meeting was-Seaied-
alright against publicity or
speculation in public, and no
mention of II has been made
since the former European
food administrator walked out
and told newS-men that. in
view of his own presidential eX-
perience in the White House
with talking callers. they could
never get anything about this
conference from him.
CTORIES We're published that
u Mr. Truman might have Of
fered Mr. Hoover the European
feeding job. This is extremely
unlikely. Mr. Hoover's age t70)
would exclude him from consid-
ering or accepting such Nigor-
Gus task. My information is that
this subject never came up.
The real purpose Of the meet
ing was TO discuss who could
handle this botched European,
food job best Singularly, both
the Republican ex-president
who did il so successfully last
time he won international fame
that eventually put him in the
White House. and the new
Democratic President agreed
this time the only agency fitted
IN undertake il was the army.
II has the shipping facilities,
the know-how, and. incidentally.
most of the available food for
the purpose.
The political phase may not
have been discussed between
the two. Yet it seems TO me the
faireSt and cleanest job which
could be done along this line
in Europe will he the most pop
ular. will gain us the most per-
manent friendliness. and in this
connection. also the army
qualities best
THE shortage of all fo6dstuffs
Il IN this country today also
precludeS any reasonable possi-
hllity Of going through with the
New Dealers program Of inn
proving the diet Of every one
everywhere Indeed. the inn
provement Of our diet at home
has been turned by events into
A primary administration re-
sponsihility
Yet hear New Dealers here
maintaining that this nation is
eating better today than ever
IN lis history they can
Contrive figures 70 shed a truth
ful light on this lmpoSslbllity.
Their story is that the under
privileged are buying and eat
ing more. They mention Ne
groeS. Yet all the Negroes |
know are IN the same thin soup
As every other citizen, unable
10 get more than spare bone
for it. Their most famed food
WIS pork chops and | have
heard New Dealers in years
past shed verbal tears because
Negroes had 10 eat this meat
Of less nutritious content than
beef, bat they get no pork
chops now.
NO MATTER how high the
y NDS may pile their Statis-
tics. they cannot diSprove the
fact that few stores in my little
town near here have had any
meat except bologna, since last
w d n day and the ARP
closed its butcher counters last
Saturday. Talk of diets 10
privileged or underprlVlleged
becomes onerous when only
bologna can be obtained by any
one. and a grade greatly in
fcrlor 10 prewar at that.
But 10 any New Dealer,
everything is class problem
and a social question and there
is no side 10 anything except
the one they have taken. They