Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-05-18
Mr.. Hoover's Report

AS lar as the worlds near starry
ing millions are concerned, the heart
of former President Hoover's moving
appeal last night was his emphatic
call for unity and cooperation
no1D" to cope with the deadliest
threat of famine in all the history
of mankind"
Mere words can do no good at
this stage. AS Mr.. Hoover declared,
one can feel boiling inward in
dignation at men and nations
others as we'll as our oWn-for hav-
ing failed to prepare better for the
crisis. and one can criticize at length
the management of relief up to now
But that will not assuage hunger or
save lives in the stricken areas of
Europe and Asia. What counts to-
day, about the only thing that
counts, is action-united and CO.
operative action on the part of all
countries that can help.
Mr.. Hoover speaks with special
authority on this subject not merely
because he dealt so ably with a SINH
lar though lesser crisis after the
First World War, but more particu-
larly because he has just completed
a global tour of $4,000 miles-a Jour-
ney not without risk, and trying
one for man of his years-to study
the problem at first hand. AS hon
orary chairman of President Tru-
mans Famine Emergency Commit
tee, he has returned with a sense of
urgency that was reflected in every
word he spoke last night, and the
grim statistics of his report explain
themselves:
Hunger hangs over the homes of
more than 6OO,0O0,OOO people" If
they should receive no further relief,
1OO,O00,0O0 would be reduced to
diet of 1000 calories day, which is
under the minimum needed in a
healthy nation-about 1900 under
the American average Another
lO0,O00,000 would be reduced to
1900; 150,000,00O more to 1900; $780,
100000 more to 1900, and about 3OO,-
100000 more to 900 or less-"and
that is slow DEATH" that is mass
starvation, that is comparable to
conditions in the NaZi horror camps
at Buchenwald and Belsen.
In Mr.. Hoover's judgment. the
critical period, the period during
which the utmost effort must be
made to Stave off the terrible threat
implicit in these figures, will last
until the coming harvests are in
around the world, so that by Sep
TENDER or October the general sit
uation should be considerably eased.
Many experts feel that he is much
too optimistic in placing that time
limit on the immediate crisis, but
nevertheless he makes abundantly
clear the urgency of the weeks and
months directly ahead. He exhorts
all Americans not to relax in cutting
down their consumption Of wheat
and fats; he urges public eating
places to intensity their conserva-
ton; he appeals to every farmer to
bring every grain of cereal to mar
ket, and finally, advocating a drastic
United Nations reorganization of
international food administration
for the next harvest year, he calls
upon other countries that can help
to hold back nothing in meeting the
present immense danger.
BY such concerted measures, in
dividual and governmental. the
crisis can be mastered, says Mr..
Hoover. His appeal is for all the
worlds hungry, and he makes a
strong case against letting the &C.
cupied countries fall to the Buchen-
valid level. No people with Chris
tan conscience can fail to be moved
by his report. No people interested
in the building of sound peace can
fail to ignore his wise and eloquent
counsel. The situation cries out for
the promptest, fullest and most
cooperative action possible.