UNDER-NOURISHMENT IN COLONIES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 262, 3 August 1939, Page 9

UNDER-NOURISHMENT IN COLONIES

Economic Development As The Remedy (British. Official Wireless.) (.Received August 2, 7.5 p.m.) RUGBY, August 1. Economic development as a remedy for under-nourishment, in the colonies was suggested by the Under-Secretary for Colonies, Lord Dufferin, in a broadcast. address. Experiments in thecolonies had shown that, where men were given a properly balanced diet in place of a traditional diet deficient, in quality they were healthier, lie said.

Although the Governments in the colonial Empire had abolished the dangers of famine in their various territories, many people were still under-nourished. This serious state of affairs did not exist, only in our colonial Empire, but also to a greater or lesser extent all over the world. The diets, it was shown, were frequently insufliciefit in quantity and still more frequently deficient in quality. Even if there were enough food in bulk it was very often not such as would give man the proper nourishment. It often consisted almost entirely of one staple foodstuff, which could not of itself supply all the heat man needed. Economic development was necessary to remedy this state of affairs, said Lord Dufferin. The colonies must become richer by increased exports or by increasing their internal trade. Either course, however, would ‘take a very long time. Lord Dufferin recommended that the first thing that should be done was to see that as many people as possible grew ami used the right kind of food —more animal products and more green vegetables.