Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-14
Food Board 10 Tackle
Big Task Of Screening
Requests for Grain
By Malcolm Lomborne. Jr.

The Combined Food Board
convenes today in one of it's most
important meetings to hear re-
ports from its Rice and Cereals
Committees and to begin the
task of screening famine stick
en- nations requests for grain
during the next three months,
AS much as two weeks may be re-
quired for completion Of the Job
Of making recommendation to ex-
porting countries on what they are
expected to send to deficit areas.
One Government source described
the job before the board as
gigantic"
Requests from claimant countries
far exceed the known world supply
OF grain. Today's reports OF the
two grain committees, made up of
principal importing and exporting
nations, will give the board the
latest picture of supply and de-
mand. 49,.
Board Set Up During War.
The Board, composed of repre-
sentatives OF the United States,
Canada and the United Kingdom,
was: set up during the war. This
country is represented by Secretary
of Agriculture Anderson, Great
Britain by Maurice I. Hutton and
Canada by j. G. Gardiner.
Represented on the Rice Commit
tee, in addition to the food board
nations, are Cuba, the Netherlands,
China, France, Brazil, UNRRA and
a special representative from India.
The Cereals Committee is COM
prised of Canada, United States,
United Kingdom, Australia, Argen-
tina, France, Belgium, Netherlands,
Norway, Denmark and UNRRA.
Sir Ben Smith, British food min
lister, was to attend today's meet
ing.
A statement issued yesterday by
Nikola Petrovitch, Yugoslav min
lister Of foreign trade, served to I'M
derscore the problems of sharing
world food supplies. He estimated
ments of grains from now until the
next harvest as $1,000 tons month,
"just barely SUFFICIENT to keep our
people alive"
Soviet Aid Reported.
While still lacking confirmation,
food officials here expressed inter-
est in reports that Russia is supply
ing France with 100000 tons of
wheat. If substantiated, it should
mean just that much more wheat
will be available for ALLEGATION to
other countries. The United States,
Canada and Argentina have ear
marked 1,750,000 tons of wheat for
France during the first six months
Of this year. .-.....
William C. Brister, director of the
food supply division of the Insti-
tute Of American Affairs, an
agency of the Office of Inter-Amer-
lean Affairs, declared in a state
ment yesterday that the United
States cannot look to Latin Amer
lea to lessen significantly the Eu-
ropean demand for exports of basic
foods" Former President Herbert
Hoover, honorary chairman of the
Famine Emergency Committee,
called Monday for nonfamine ma
tons, including those in South
America, to take steps to make
available another 5,0000.0Do tons of
gra1n. - , 49, &
Some 18 of the American repub-
lies, plus some Of the Caribbean
Islands. not only are on short ra-
lions, but are importing wheat,
corn and other basic foodstuffs,
much of 1t from the United States,
said Mr.. Brister, who recently re-
turned from a tour of Latin Amer
lea, declared.
Will Inspect Institutions.
Meanwhile, the District govern
ment prepared to call on two Army
food experts to make inspections OF
District institutions to check con-
servation Of food.
After a meeting yesterday in the
office of Engineer Commissioner
Gordon r. Young with institution
heads and dieticians, Welfare Di-
rector Ray L. Huff and Health
Officer George c, Rutland met with
Capt. Chester M. Carr of the Mill
tary District of Washington and
Capt. Merrill D. Waters of the once
Of the quartermaster general. to
draw up schedule OF visits to hos
pitals and institutions.
Gen. Young told the group the
were planned in the hope
that some marginal savings" might
be effected. He emphasized there
was no belief that the institution
food services were not being eco
nomically run. And recommended
tons of the inspectors, he said,
u,n1,1d he MT in effect of tho cfic