Food for Britain

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24271, 31 May 1944, Page 2

Food for Britain

Everyone should be prepared to weigh in a fair balance the contribution he is making to the war effort. Everyone, if he finds that he could increase it, should be prepared to do so. Everyone who reads Mr W. Bankes Amery’s article on this page to-day, and reflects on it as an appeal to himself —which it is—will be moved to ask whether he cannot, in some measure, respond. Few will be able to tell themselves candidly that they cannot. None will be able to tell himself, comfortingly, that the need for his utmost contribution, small as it may be, is not real, not urgent, or that the way to make it is not clear. Mr Amery’s facts are terribly plain. The average New Zealander, under rationing, can eat as much dairy produce and meat in a day as the average Briton in a week. New Zealand remains abundantly well off in those foods that are scarcest in Britain —meat, butter, and cheese —and are cut to the danger point. The ration is bare sufficiency to maintain health and heart; yet this bare sufficiency may have to be reduced, with an effect, as Sir Jack Drummond gave sober warning some weeks ago, as damaging to spirit as to physique. “More than “•ever," Lord Woolton said when he left the Ministry of Food for the Ministry of Reconstruction —“ more “ than ever," this year, Britain depends on the staple food exports of Australia and New Zealand. They have fallen, from both sources. The drive to build up production cannot succeed rapidly. It takes many months to restock herds, raise increased crops of feed, restore pastures, carry calves on to production or lambs to heavier killing weight. All these things and more must be done; most of them are being done. But to reduce consumption is to contribute at once to the surplus available for export—how effectively, the Acting-Prime Minister showed in figures he announced on May 19. In the three months up to blitter rationing, civil consumption exceeded 19,000,0001b; in the three months after, it was a little above 12,000,0001b. Even if the succession of summer months to winter would have normally reduced consumption somewhat, the saving is clearly tremendous and not less valuable, but more, if its effect was partly that of off-setting a fall in production. This saving goes on. It can, and should, be greater. Australia has reduced the butter ration by 2oz a week. There is no need to wait for official action, though, if official action comes, it should be understood and approved. There is no need to wait. Everyone who voluntarily reduces his ration, within limits of safety that can easily be ascertained, whether of meat or butter, is sending food to Britain. “Any additional effort,” Mr Bankes ; Amery says, is wanted. It is wanted 1 from all.