FAMINE IN BENGAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 6, 18 October 1943, Page 4

FAMINE IN BENGAL.

ASSISTANCE FROM BRITAIN.

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, October 15.

“In the 10 years from 1931 to 1941 the'population of India has increased by 50,000,000 and every month there are some 400,000 more mouths to be fed,” said the Secretary of State for India (Mr L. C. M. S. Amery), when discussing the Bengal famine in Birmingham to-night. The vast majority of this new population had to find a living off the land, which had barely sustained the smaller population in the past. Mr Amery pointed out that British development had led to this greatly increased population, but it had also led to greatly increased production. The food difficulty had been contributed to by the needs of the armed forces, and it had been accentuated by the loss of imports due to war conditions, by a bad harvest, and by disastrous floods. The key to the solution of the whole problem lay in better distribution. The worst dangers had now been mastered. The important thing was not to try to apportion the blame, but to see what could be done without delay to put things right. The British Government had a responsibility to do everything in its power to help India. Whatever might be her constitutional position in relation to India, Britain had kept her responsibilities in mind. At a time of difficulty she had freed substantial quantities of shipping for grain imports into India and every effort was being made to make more shipping available. Considerable quantities of grain wore arriving and would continue to arrive till toward the end of the year, when the situation would be further reviewed. , . * The first ship carrying grain is already unloading at an Indian port. A second ship is expected at any time. British Official Wireless.