Evening star., 1947-09-22
Az THE EVENING STAR, Washington D. c.
MONDAY, a., ~
Hoover Outlines Steps
1oHelp World Survive
A Grim Food Year
BY the Assoeioted Press

BY the Assoeioted Press
NEW YORK, Sept q 22,-Herbert
Hoover said last night that the 1947
world harvest may Yield As littie as
that Of 1945 and he outlined steps
needed "if large areas of the world
are to be saved from mass starva-
ton"
He called for some form of volun-
tary rationing in this grim food
year"
a doctor and nurse accompanied
the former President to the Madison
Square Garden meeting. His sec
rerry Explained that Mr.. Hoover
had not felt well for several days
but was "all right now"
The meeting in behalf of German
relief was sponsored by the Amer
ican Friends Service Committee, the
Labor League for Human Rights,
AFL, and Lutheran World Relief,
Inc. A spokesman for the sponsors
said Mr.. Hoover appeared against
the advice of his physician.
In his prepared speech Mr.. Hoover
coupled his plea for rationing with
a warning that the American people
could not be expected to- make sac
rtnces unless there Is complete CO.
operation abroad" and added:
Changed Prepared Speech.
FSuch events as the present po-
ltacal strikes of farmhands in italy
which paralyze their production of
food do not stimulate American ef-
foft."
When he spoke, however, Mr.
Hoover deleted the paragraph con-
talning the reference to the Italian
farm strike-which ended Friday
and the warning that Americans
could not be expected to make sac
rifices without cooperation from
abroad.
due to the failure of agricultural
recovery in Europe and Asia, to-
gether with devastating droughts in
other parts of the world--including
the American corn crop-the next
II months will be grim food year.
Mr.. Hoover said.
Grain Decrease Predicted.
A disastrous decrease" of 32,000,-
900 tons of coarse grains was pre-
dicted by Mr.. Hoover. This, he said,
would be partly offset by 1000, 900
increase In bread grains-wheat and
rye.
Mr.. Hoover, who had toured Europe
earlier this year to survey the food
situation at the request of President
Truman, said that his outline of
world food prospects did not include
Russia. But he added: Russia has
had some crop improvement. We
hope 1t is enough to supply the
satellite states
The situation, Mr.. Hoover said,
calls for these steps:
/. The American farmers must
resist the natural tendency" to feed
bread grains to animals at time
when coarse grains are scarce. I'm
this world emergency we must give
the preference to human beings"
he said.
2. Unnecessary human consump-
ton and waste of food" must be
stopped. Mr.. Hoover added that
"such measures, in order to secure
the best results, must be largely
voluntary" -" sasEsss !
Need Full Cooperation.
8. The world deficit can be met
"only If we have full cooperation
from the other surplus-producing
countries and drastic control of
distribution and elimination of black
markets in the deficit countries"
4. Price increases which he said
could "be very largely ascrihed to,
over-exports of food" have COM
plicated the situation. THE rem
edies for price increases lie in
handling of exports with an eye to
keeping prices down, in the stop
page of speculation and boarding
and, above all, In decreasing un-
necessary consumption and waste, y
Mr. Hoover said.
The situation will not be solved
by panic or ever-hasty action" he
declared. "All countries in Europe
have their harvest which also will
supply them for some period. In
the United States, even in the most
pessimistic view, we have surplus
of human food.
by proper world organization,
we ought to be able to prevent dis.
aster as we did in the 1945 harvest
year.
Gen. Joseph T. McNarney, former
head of the American Military Gov
ernment in Germany. told the crowd
estimated at 5000 that there was a
political as well as social and
humanitarian necessity for seeing
that the ration levels which have
been established for Germany are
not merely maintained, but raised