Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-19
SURPRISES May Be Vital
If NucIeor War Comes

phrey points out, putting - OIL
lion into stockpiles Of strategic min
erals and other materials to make
sure we have enough on hand IN
event Of q defense emergency,
building additional stockpiles Of A.
bombs, planes and other weapons
Of warfare. yet the administration
asks US to nquidate all Of our food
and fiber holdings without think
ing about how we could even start
to defend our Nation In event Of
such an emergency without as
surance Of ample food and fiber"
Two Solutions
Generally. there are two main
ideas about how to use our food
surplus a. q strategic reserve:
Q First, stockpile 1t in protected
sites, dispersed In the vicinity Of
metropolitan areas most likely TO
be attacked IN an About nuclear
war.
. Second. send some Of the surplus
abroad to our allies for similar
stockpiling in case Of war.
It has been suggested that the
food and fiber raw materials might
even be processed before they are
stockpiled, put into individual IA
tons ready for distribution. Big
cities could be ringed with stra-
logically located warehouses-un-
foreground. Stocks could be rotated.
II necessary. TO provide q perna-
nent safety reserve"
The advantages cited by propo-
nents Of the plan are these:
/. American strength in the
"broken-back" phase Of o nuclear
war would be greatly increased: the
Soviet Union. 1t win be remembered.
has no comparable agricultural sur
pluses.
2. Our allies would be "stiffened"
against Soviet intimidation and
would have new evidence Of the
United States long-term interest In
their survival.
3. Properly insulated from world
and domestic markets In this man
ner. American surpluses would lose
their Oppressive effects and farm
prices might head back toward that
100 per cent In the marketplace
which President Eisenhower seeks.
Before any concrete action on
these proposals Is possible, however,
two questions must be answered.
Two Questions
First. what levels of supply should
be maintained for emergencies, such
as wars or famines? Second. what
Ii q normal inventory Of farm COM
modities-needed TO keep the pipe
line filled from farmer to con-
sumner?
The Once Of Defense Mobiliza-
ton, which Is now stockpiiing stra-
tegic materials, works on the as
sumption that q six-month supply Of
hard goods must be kept on hand.
Shouldn't there be at least q COM
parable supply Of foods and nbers?
Our meat supply, Of course. de-
ponds on feed grains for the cattle,
poultry and hogs.
One prominent nuclear scientist
familiar with fallout effects believes
that:
Food would be the most essential
thing In case Of nuclear attack. We
should take advantage Of our sur
pluses and produce balanced rations
for storage in safe sites near metro
politan areas, so that our people
will be assured Of the most i'm
portant item for our survival follow
ing an attack-uncontam
food"
It Is entirely conceivable, Of
course, that Americas ef1cient
farmers would soon produce enough
to All our strategic food reserve re-
quirements as well as those of our
allies and soon begin piling up new
SURPRISES. But until we have the
security Of adequate food reserves,
there Is room to wonder whether
we are overemphasizing the present
need for regulating production.
Nuclear war, Of course, is not the
only. phenomenon which could
threaten the American food supply.
Famines and other natural disasters
are sttll possible.