FOOD FOR EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24147, 5 January 1944, Page 4

FOOD FOR EUROPE

Urgent Post-War Task For Allies RESPONSIBILITY OF FOODGROWING COUNTRIES From Our Own Correspondent NEW YORK, November 10. The urgent post-war need for the free food-producing nations to supply liberated areas until native crops came in was described by the Vice-President of the United States (Mr H. A. Wallace) In an address at Cleveland, Ohio. The United States could not feed other nations by themselves, he said. Moreover, they did not propose to feed a single person anywhere in the world who was not willing to produce to the extent of his ability. But they would not willingly stand idly by in the midst of preventable starvation. By co-operat-ing with Canada, Latin America, Aus-. tralia, New Zealand, and Africa to pro-* duce food to the limit, the United States could make one of her finest contributions to the war effort and the worldwide triumph of democracy during the first two years of peace. They were proud of the food contribution to England, Russia, and occuSied Italy. Great Lritain had increased er own food production by 60 per cent., but even so had to import onethird of her food. In the Soviet Union the only people who really ate decently were those engaged in fighting. In spite of our efforts in Italy, the Russians were doing three-fourths of the land fighting against the Germans. This fighting had saved and would save many American lives. The hard year for Russia would be 1944. They must make certain she had enough food to continue her present magnificent fight and to get her rich Ukrainian farm lands producing again. They would not have much food for the starving millions in Europe whom they would liberate in 1944, but surely they could manage somehow to make certain that many millions of them could be tided over until they could produce for themselves. . . . Vital production must be restored promptly and fairly distributed. The United Nations must shoulder the super-human job of carrying them over the hard time until they could harvest their crops without robbery. Food would be the dominant world problem in 1944. The United States could not solve this problem by herself. All the United Nations would do their share. If they could spare enough ships to move it, the United Nations had this year over 60,000,000 tons of food in exporting countries ready to ship to allies abroad and to liberated areas. Only one-tenth of this would come from the United States. Output could not begin to meet the overwhelming demand of 1945 Therefore it was supremely important to plan now to expand production in Africa, in South America, in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and to prepare all necessary steps to maintain and increase production in the liberated ureas After the war the problem of reconverting agriculture would face them more rapidly than most people realised. Within a couple of years after the fighting stopped the farm lands of Europe, provided there was ordinary weather, would be producing crops remarkably well. The greatest problem would be to furnish the necessary machinery and fertiliser, and, in some areas, seed and livestock. “To meet the needs in- the next two or three years it is right that the United States and the Governments of all the United Nations should do everything.to bring about maximum production of those agricultural products which are most needed. It is a question of life or death for millions. But as we urge farmers in the new wprld, Australia and Africa, to produce to the limit, we must also prepare for the time when millions of bushels of food might be rotting in the fields because of lack of markets. The Governments of the United States, England, and all the other industrial nations must plan with labour-and industry so there will be no unemployment. “For the next few yeafJjWe ing to ship all the food possible atjrpud simply because we know thaJ,ris the shortest way to end the war and win the peace. But at the earliest possible moment we shal’ stop that. We shall train the people overseas to feed themselves. because we know that if they learn to provide themselves with a high standard of living by their own efforts, we in the United States are just that much safer. “There must begin definite planning for reconversion, not alone of industry, but also of agriculture. Most of the planning for reconversion should be done by labour, industry, and agriculture, but it cannot be successful unless there is positive leadership by government. .. . Post-war anarchy threw 15,000,000 men out of jobs and cut farm prices to one-third., “We can have much more free enterprise if Government helps business and labour on the road to full employment and guides agriculture through the shoals of a changing world demand Let us firmly resolve that we shall each do his-part to put into action an adequate victory food programme, followed later on by a job programme. Food and jobs are two of the founda-tion-stones of the century of the common man.”