Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-04-02
Indio's Food Crisis

Congress ought to stop dilly-dallying with
the Presidents February IL request for emergency
action to cope with the mounting food crisis In
India. The longer the necessary legislation is
delayed, the more acute will grow the threat fof
famine. BY the same token, the easier 1t will be
for subversive Communist forces to capitalize on
the accompanying unrest in the great Asian
subcontinent. 5#@5s
AS pointed out by the President in his Febru-
airy message, midas 1850 food crop has been
sharply reduced by earthquakes, floods, droughts
and locust plaques, with the result that million
tons of grain must be imported this year. The
Nehru government has arranged for the cash
purchase of million from Canada the United
States, Australia and several other countries 1t
is hard put, however, to finance the remaining
2 million, which apparently can be procured only
from us. 4Haaz a6
tf To meet this critical situation, the President
has recommended to Congress that 1t promptly
authorize shipments to cover the 2-nillion ton
deficiency, but that it appropriately the form
OF an outright grant-funds to cover Just half OF
the total with India paying all the ocean freight
charges AS for the question of financing and
supplying the remaining / million tons, action
would be deferred pending additional study
Further, as far as conditions are concerned, the
Nehru government would undertake to distribute
our aid fairly, keep the public fully informed as
to it's source, and employ the proceeds from its
sale to help improve the Indian economy with
the assistance of a special mission from our
Economic Cooperation Administration.
But the Presidents request-which he has Just
described as urgent" in a new appeal for con-
gressional action-has begged down in the House
Although approved by the Foreign Affairs Com
mittee it has run into road block in the Rules
Committee Some members are opposed to the
idea of grant. Others want the proposed aid
conditioned on a raw-materials agreement with
India. And more than few are inclined to be
hostile because Prime Minister Nehru-whose
efforts to walk neutrality tightrope between
the free West and the Soviet Union have led him
to make some pretty muddled statements-iS in
disagreement with the United States over Red
China and how best to stop aggression in Asia.
But while Congress hens and haws over
issues of this kind and while Moscow and
Peiping repeatedly are making good propaganda
for themselves with offers to send small supplies
of food-the specter of hunger looms larger and
larger for many millions Of Indian men. women
and children Famine does not wait on legislation.
As the President has pointed out, prompt action
is vital 1t is vital because summer will bring
the monsoon season to India, and many roads
will then become impossible for grain shipments
to remote parts of the country
Thus, from now on, every day that Congress
fails to deal with this matter will increase the
difficulty of heading off starvation conditions in
India. The House and the Senate, If they are
going to act favoraby at all - and 1t seems
uncomfortable that they will not do Sought to
act now. Our humanitarian traditions, the simple
rules of Christianity demand as much. Beyond
that, DIR own self-interest is directly involved,
for the consequences of an Indian famine could
gravely affect the security of this Nation and the
entire free world