The Wilmington morning star., 1947-01-24
cERMANY's FOOD PLIGHT

CERMANY'S FOOD PLIGHT
When the world was younger and clvl'
Iization generally on a lower plane, vic
torious armies wasted little time on the
plight Of conquered peoples. Some vic
torious leaders, notably Cenghis Khan,
murdered their victims. Whole tribes were
liquidated.
Although there is still no humanitarian
warfare, the sole purpose OF opposing
armies being 10 Stay as many OF the enemy
as possible and destroy his property, when
the battle is over victors, if properly mo-
tivated, accept so far as they can re-
sponsibility for the well-being of the van
quished.
This would not have been the case it
Germany and Japan had won World War
II. They both chung to the ancient belief
that through conquest they would be justi-
fled in en~slaving or Staying conquered
peoples. That is what would have hap
pened if their mad ambition for world
conquest had been successful. Whatever
their progress in other matters, they were
still in the jungles so far as war and
conquest are concerned.
Not so, the Western democracies thai
defeated them. Particularly is it not the
principle Of the United States, which has
carried the major burden Of relief since
the fighting ceased, as it shouldered the
industrial and military burden Of Kidding
the world Of the combined military night
Of Germany and Japan.
The United States has contributed the
largest share Of Allied relief. despite the
fact that the American people have had
to pile up an astronomical national debt
as a result Of providing its own military
power and supplying the nations associat-
ed with if in the battle with ships, equip
ment, supplies and munitions TO guaran
tee victory.
With the battle won, this nation holds
itself responsible in large measure for the
recovery and peaceful conduct Of the van
quished peoples, that they may be re-
habilitated and take a place in the COM
munity of nations which all peoples hope
will ultimately emerge from the devasia-
lion Of the late conflict.
Thus it is that former President Her.
bert Hoover, again called upon by Presi-
dent Truman for advice in solving the
food problem in Germany, declares we
must feed the German people, whether
we like it or moi" and gives the reason
by saying, we cannot have the American
flag flying over forty million people re-
duced TO a gigantic Buchenwald."
AS Buchenwald was a place Of torture
maintained by the Germans, the compari-
son is NOT as clouded as it miuht appear,
as no torture is worse than starvation.
Mr.. Hoover, who surveyed the world
food situation for President Truman some
months ago, and because Of previous ex-
perience and native understanding prob
ably knows most about feeding suffering
segments Of the worlds population, signi-
ficantlY adds: The supply Of food in Ger
many today is less than enough to main
tain a worker fit to work" How, then,
shall German workers restore their coun-
Try, unless they have the food necessary
TO make them fit 10 work."
1t is hard for many Of us TO forget that
Germans are no longer our enemy. Per
haps some, even many, Of them still are
at heart. But the need for food in Ger
many is TOO great, the need for a restored
Germany TOO apparent. for the United
States to withhold succor, even though we
are heavily burdened with debt and our
own larders are not comfortably filled
Mr.. Hoover's advice ought not to be