ON THE HOME FRONT

Grey River Argus, 16 January 1941, Page 3

ON THE HOME FRONT

THE CONSUMER Jains Battle LONDON, January 9. “We are attacking the enemy. We are striking hard blows. To do this we have had to divert some ol the shipping which previously was cattying our meat. We are dclibeiatcly sacrificing meat at home lor munitions in Libya.” This was the frank statement 0 the British Minister of Food on January 3. He was speaking to a people ready to give and capable of giving much more than it has given hithex - to in pursuit of this war. Public opinion in Britain is a long way ahead of Hitler. Six months back it objected to the budget, not because of the immense sacrifices H called for, but because it thought Lie budget inadequate to deal with Hitler This week when he fire-bombs London the fire squads while away the lulls between the showers of incendiaries by chanting “We want some more.” On the food front public sentiment is much the same. The average citizen feels that up till now too few calls have been made upon his willingness to make war sacrifices. If a tighter belt will help, he is ready to pull it in.

A YEAR OF PLENTY. His willingness is the greater in that until just lately he was eating with his customary abundance and variety. Contrary to the impression that prevailed abroad, the first 12 to 14 months of war seldom if ever caused him to stint himself or go without. -Though touched, he felt slightly embarrassed when generous hampers reached him from ovex seas. Rationing affected him little. It was not introduced until January, 1940, and then applied only for four commodities —butter, bacon, meat and sugar. Even when tea. joined the rationed ranks (July, 1940). helpings remained ample and he got a good laugh when Goebbels proclaimed that “All privately owned horses have been requisitioned in England. Horses unfit for any services have been slaughtered to ieplenish England’s rapidly dwindling stocks of meat.” And when he said: “The Ministry of Food has announced that white bread cannot be relied on till next spring.”

full measure. The drop in the butter ration to 2ozs. (September, 1940) brougnt the first hint of war effort into his larder, but even then he felt no shortage', I hanks to generous supplies ol other fals. Further, in contrast Io his fellows in enemy territory, he could always get his lull ration. As Fred Bate,’ the U.S. commentator broadcast li'om London: One ol the differences between this war and the last one is the absence this time of people queuing up to buy food here.’ Compare an enemy broadcast of tne same date: “Eggs are so scarce m England that the population forms queues hundreds deep, though they cost twenty shillings a dozen. Such is the pitiable plight of British.”. (Note: The controlled price of eggs was at the time three shillings and ninepence). Incidentally enemy news seiwices nevex’ stop ovex-working this - “food shortage” theme. German propagandists are at present plugging the same story about Athens and with equally little foundation.

CHRISTMAS FARE, 1940. This was nearly as good as usual, thanks to timely cargoes of oranges and to a double ration in Christmas week of sugar and tea. And, as for unrationed foods, let an eye-witness speak for himself: “For these far below ground five hundred children were being given a Christmas treat in one of London’s largest deep shelters. The children had a grand time, and this is what they ate: 1500 cakes and one hundredweight of slab cake, one half hundredweight of jam, 11- hundredweight of sweets, three dozen tins of fish paste and 75 loaves. In addition each child received an orange, an apple, a toy, a book and two crackers. (“Daily Telegraph”). FAIR SHARES The public view that all are ready to go short provided all go share and share alike, was voiced by the Eastbourne Town Council in a resolution: To-day it is the nation’s wish that its food should be spread so as to secure the maximum of social and productive usefulness. It is its conviction that vital nourishment must be equally shared. The resultant levelling of nutrition by universal consent may well be one of the best legacies that the war bequeathes to the peace. SPECTATORS INTO THE RING British men and women look to shorter rations as no hardship provided that their tribute brings more munitions from America or gives more guns Io Greece. They welcome so active and personal a share in (he war. And if the Minister of Food should turn to them- again, there are many more non-essentials that they feel they can jettison in order to go in and win.