The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-01-12
WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, ID. G.

Washington, d. c.
Recently saw list of IL Euro
pean countries with an estimate Of
the number of Galleries consumed in
each now, as compared with their
inhabitants prewar diet.
It was just at the time when the
Greek revolt was well under way
and only tight lid was keeping the
Belgian pot from boiling over.
The calorie consumption in those
two countries was the lowest on the
list, 81 and SO per cent, respectively,
of their prewar diet.
About that time Myron Taylor, the
Presidents representative at the
Vatican, was warming the Allies that
if communism came to Italy, 1t
would come over empty stomachs.
Adding up this data the natural as
sumption is that hunger ia the chief
cause of unrest in Europe. But it
isn't as simple as that. mode some
Investigations and came upon
number of interesting facts which
prove the dangers of over-simplifi-
cation.
Number one is: Low calories may
be symptom and not disease. In
other words, disorganization and re-
volt affect the food supply as well
as being affected by it.
Number two: Destruction and dis
organization are the chief causes of
famine and the type of destruction
which affects the food supply is not
the destruction of food. It is the
smashing of railways and rolling
stock and blowing up of bridges and
doing other things that interrupt
transportation. This has done more
to create areas Of starvation than
any planned destruction of the crops
themselves by the enemy.
Number three: Conditions are fire.
quently worse after countries are
liberated.
One common misconception which
needs to be corrected is the total
amount and distribution of the food
shortage. Since Europe's food prob
lens are of vital concern to Amer
lea it might be well to clear up
some of these erroneous ideas.
Problem Varies in
Diff Countries
In the first place, in the early
years of the war the situation was
painted too black. There were va
rious reasons for this. Among them
the fact that many countries exag-
gerated their plight, asking for more
than they expected for fear of get
ting less than they really needed.
Later the picture was painted far
too rosily. Through all this time the
experts were not fooled but the pub
lie was.
SIT is wrong to say that Europe is
starving. It is wrong to say that
nobody is starving or will starve," I
was informed by person who is in
a position to know if anyone is.
The point is that the situation in
various places varies greatly and
here we come back to the question
of transportation. We might use
Greece as an example of place
where revolt has increased the Sc
robustness of the food situation. One
of the chief concerns Of persons who
had no political interest whatever in
whether Greece became purple
monarchy or a bright red spot Of
communism, but who were inter-
ested in seeing that the Athenians
didn't starve, was the fact that be-
cause of the fighting, shiploads of
food lay untouched in the harbor of
Piraeus.
Athens, Rome, Marseille are all
in spots far distant from areas
where surplus food exists. Norman
dy, for instance, could share some of
her products with the south of
France if there were any way to
get the stuff across the country. The
grain in the holds of ships in the
harbor is no good to the people of
Greece unless there is unrestricted
passage to and from the docks and
men who can unload and transport
it to safety.
This question of proximity to sup
ply explains why all over Europe
the average consumption level of the
farm population is 40 per cent high
er than that Of the people in urban
or manufacturing communities.
One of the paradoxes Of Europe'S
eating troubles is that in most coun-
tries the situation often grows worse
instead of better after liberation
takes place. Italy is an example Of
what mixed blessings liberation can
bring.