Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-13

Chuos-Ihe Alternative
This puts in elementary terms the problem Of
feeding Europe this winter for which the United
States has assumed major responsibility. 1t won't
take much, just negligible percentage of our vast
total Of food properly distributed here and there
Itmay save Europe from hunger and starvation
and their natural results disorder, revolution.
communism.
If it does, it would save us many political head.
aches, now and in the future A desperate Europe
would complicate our own problem-for obvious
reasons.
Because Of complicating factors, it is going to
take Efficient organization to do this Job Of feeding
Europe Such organization does not exist here now.
Itiswell that President Truman is acting quick.
ly to eliminate the confusion and friction and the
lack of a well co-ordinated program. This is the
first essential.
Some Of the complicating factors were in trans.
portation. There was shortage of boats for Euro.
pean shipments because Of the redeployment to
the Pacific and the long haul there. There is con.
gestion in internal traffic in this country for tho
same reason. Refrigerator cars wait from time to
time, for troop trains, for example. There is, Of
course, serious transportation problem in En-.
rope, with destruction of railroads and bridges
and the clogging up Of canals There is also 1
deficiency in port facilities.
Here ut homo there is a complicated political
factor in noisy minority which is protesting tho
sending of food to Europe. This is revealed in
letters to the Agriculture Department.
The noisy minority is well.fed minority. In
fact, are all well fed. This year, despite short.
ages, per capita food consumption still was three
per cent above the average for the prewar years
l93o-l939, inclusive Last year it was 10 per cent
higher. This is because people who couldn't afford
90 much food before now have money to buy it.
That included workers in our war plants. They
were better fed. Those who could always afford
plenty Of food can't get all the variety Of things
they once spread lavshly on their tables But they
are getting enough to eat.
cIinehins Victory With Breed
We are not suffering, and we are not going 10
suffer.
Many peoples in Europe are. The European
situation is spotty, and not all bad. Some agricul.
tural sections, such as Normandy and Brittany in
France, are in good shape. So is Denmark which
is exporting food. But the problem is getting the
food that is available to the cities The breakdown
OF transportation is the handicap here.
This is what makes for desperate situation in
Paris, for example, and other large cities. The
worst spots in Europe are in Paris and Marseilles
in France; Rotterdam, Amsterdam and the Hague
in Holland; Belgium, Jugoslavia, Poland. The
situation is very serious, too, in North Africa.
Normally wheat exporting country, it is now
importing wheat. The situation in Greece. once
very bad, is improving. Norway is not in as bad
shape as expected. Reopening of fisheries, which
would help tremendously, has been delayed by
mines in northern European waters.
Where help is needed, it is needed badly. Il
won't take great deal-if we will spare il.
s.sr.sa AS A PUBLIC SERVICE,
TERNATI0NAL LATEx CORPORATE
AYTEx PARK < DOVER, DELAWAj
Copyrighted 1919. Unfted Feature. Syndicate ne.
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