The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-17
Washington Calling
BY MARQUIS CHILDS
BY MARQUIS CHILDs

fable of the blind men and the elephant 1t has
many sides, and the side you see first is the
one you are likely to generalize about as typ-
cal Of all France.
| Many Americans come here, buy expensive
meals on the black market, stay at the few
heated hotels and conclude that the plight of
France is grealy exaggerated for the purpose
of obtaining more aid from the U. s. A. others
come here, spend few days and glbly report
| that the children they see in the upper class
districts are well fed.
No one on the basis Of brief stay can
possibly Judge the complex situation. But I
| have talked with what seemed to me COM
petent witnesses, both American and British
who believe that France is at the end Of her
rope. They base their conclusions not on sur
face observations, but on careful study OF the
conditions beneath the surface.
OF course, people are not dropping dead
in the streets, as in the famine in the Far
East, and it's quite possible that France has
enough food, with the exception OF fats, to
feed her own people. What is so serious is the
disintegration Of the system of production and
distribution in a complex industrial civiliza-
| ton.
| 1t is not SO much the condition that exists to-
day, although that is serious enough, as the
status of the population three months or six
months from now unless remedial steps are
quickly taken. Even more serious, perhaps
are the long-term consequences OF hunger and
initiation, twin evils that threaten the French
people today. We should have learned by now
that these evils lead to political absolutism
whether it is called Fascism or Communism.
Over the question of the plight Of France, a
tug of war has been going on for many weeks.
The French government, backed by the Brit
ish, have been arguing the critical need of
more shipping to bring basic materials into
the country in order to restore French econo-
Tbe pff Tho &c
seen from this side of the Atlantic, was one
of the principal reasons for the mission of
Richard Law, minister of State and Anthony
Eden's trouble-shooter, to Washington.
Laws Arguments persuaded top officials he
talked to on the civilian side. But the military
leaders were not persuaded, and their WORD
seems to be final shipping. They believe
that the rehabilitation of France must wait
until the war in Europe ends.
What you see here today, therefore, is
race between the Allied armies invading Ger
many and the threatened collapse, both politi-
cally and economically on liberated France.
The question is whether victory will come soon
enough to enable France to import the goods
she can obtain in America either by pur-
chase or new Lend-Lease agreement.
| French rations today are officially about
what they were under the German occupation.
The catch is that today the housewife finds it
difficult or impossible in the open market to
daily average obtainable on the open market
at less than 1400 calories per day during
January. The average this month may be even
lower.
A man in active work needs at least twice
that amount to sustain life. Those who have
money resort to the black market, which is
growing by leaps and bounds. But black mar
ket prices are beyond the reach of the ordi-
nary person.
Moreover, prices on the black bourse con
stantly rise, and along with this underground
initiation goes threat to the French currency
The France now is pegged at an artificial rate
lin relation to the pound and dollar. That
seems to encourage speculation in currency,
which in turn contributed to the inflatlonary
spiral
The real problem, however, remains one OF
Transportation. Locomotives, trucks and barges
for the canals are the real need along with
a minimum amount OF raw materials to get
French industry started again, particularly on
the manufacture of goods essential to the war.
I motored from lie Havre to Paris through
towns ruined by the war. Lines OF military
trucks moved steadily along the roads to the
various fronts with supplies. French civilians
were using broken-doWn vehicles or carts
drawn by oxen The impression you got was
of people struggling for bare existence on
the fringes of war.
| The viewpoint of the American military is
of course perfectly understandable They must
supply the greatest war in history; and their
fear is that if they diminish that supply, TIM
the conflict will be needlessly prolonged.
The French have great fortitude. ill early
spring brings relife, then they should win the
race with hunger and initiation. But 1t is
big eft"
Copyright 1915 by United Feature Syndicate,
Inc)
| -V-
The groundhog Woodchuck and whistlepig
are all the same animal-Fa Autographs. Since
he scares so easily at sight of his own shad-
ow-he's also a fraidy cat.
AS the days grow longer the Nazi's time
grows shorter.
A western couple accused each other \,
hurting grapefruit, marmalade and eggs in
an argument. Who says breakfast can't he.
come a lively meal?
Compilers of the new French dictionary -
| ter ~ arduous years. are still in the A sec
ton Ihey plan, doubt, to beoueat r. -
thelr sons and to the grandchildren.
ihat new hit song has sold million comics
lholcatng there are just lots of people w -
oont want to be fenced in
, Buffalo meat is ,nrationed. The hitch =
~nele 90 YOU go to look for a nice fat hit.