Sharing Of Food Burden Urged

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 21

Sharing Of Food Burden Urged

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, December 20. The United States is taking a tough attitude on future food shipments to India to convince other countries that America can no longer bear the burden alone.

The “New York Times” News Service reported that considerable diplomatic pressure by the White House had resulted In the Australian contribution of 150,000 tons of wheat. Canada has also agreed to contribute between 150,000 and 300,000 tons. The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Mr Orville Freeman, who has been conferring with President Johnson at his ranch at Austin, Texas, has said the United States Government was “delighted” to hear of the contributions.

Mr Freeman said: “The United States can't do this all alone. “We are continuing to work, to discuss and to urge other nations to join with us so that this great threat to human life and well-being can be met as it properly should be met, on a joint international basis.” He said the Soviet Union, France, Canada, Australia and Argentina could ship more wheat to India, and other nations could contribute either money or other items such as fertilisers. Government officials said the world was certain to face a major food crisis in about 10 years unless countries short of food, such as India, did more to help themselves, and those with surpluses adopted a more liberal attitude toward helping countries with chronic shortages.