WORLD FOOD CRISIS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 224, 21 August 1945, Page 2

WORLD FOOD CRISIS

3.45 P.M. EDITION

■♦ NEXT YEAR WILL BE VITAL. WARNING BY MR BEVIN. (N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.) (Rec. 1.45 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 20. "The war ended just in time," said the Foreign Secretary (Mr Bevin) during the foreign affairs debate in the House of Commons. "We were on the eve of a great world food crisis. We cannot stop the decline this winter, but there are hopes that the 1916 harvestwill chock the decline. Next year will be vital. "It is hard to call on Britons after six years of war for more, but peace with understanding with Britain playing her proper role as the leader in the social and economic field is a prize worth winning. "In a world stunned and only just beginning to awaken from the stupefying effects of war the great thing is ; to pay attention to economic recon-j struction and to work hard and get peopJfj resettled, earning their own living." Mr Bevin said that in conducting his policy he would always be actuated by the desire that it should bo worthy of Britain's immense sacrifices during the war. Manpower losses were happily less than in the last war, but the methods adopted to win the war had left Britain extremely pooi. Reconstruction was a heavy task. The ; enormous resources of the United; States had been thrown into the | titanic struggle and long years of j lighting had disorganised China, but; the worst situation was possibly in the! liberated countries. One of the great! difficulties there was that people had been taught to disobey the occupation forces, resulting in lawlessness which was now difficult to eradicate. MOVING POPULATIONS. There would have to be tolerance, patience and determination. The resettlement of the vast population of displaced persons, numbering millions, would tax the Control Commission's genius and ability. A report which he received from General Montgomery on Saturday stated that nearly 1,100,000 had been evacuated from the British zone. The report stated that 300,000 went westward and more than 000,000 Russians were transported eastward; 200,000 Italians had begun to move southward and 1,250.000 displaced persons were still housed in camps in the British zone. Perhaps another 500,000 were still at large. It was hoped that by the autumn onlv 045,000 would be left, of whom 500,000 would be Poles. ''We cannot allow the idea to develop that the liberated countries can lie clown and rely on the Allied countries for continuous support." Mr Bevin said. "There is a limitation to what Unrra can do, both in the amount and time. Coal is a basicneed. Miners are international in j their outlook. The Labour Government! has proposed to give the British miners what they have sought for years.*l asked them to help me not for profit or for capitalists, but for peace" and to bring succour, health and warmth to millions of colleagues at home and abroad." ALWAYS TOWARDS PEACE. The Government accepted the Pots- , dam decisions as the basis on which j the Foreign Ministers' Council's work must proceed. When the Foreign Min- j isters met they, must not be obsessed ' merely by a desire for punishment, or revenge," but in everything they did they must ask themselves whether the decision was made for peace or for war. He believed that if they could onlv eliminate the war mind from Germany there would be a chance of unity where no conflict need exist. The Government adhered to the policy in Greece which was publicly supported when Greece was liberated. He saw no good purpose in assisting the creation of a new Government before the election. Greece would never recover while her leaders spent their time continuously trying to change the Government. They had better take an example from Britain. (Laughter.) The Government urged that elections be held as soon as possible to assist m restoring confidence. Britain would welcome an amnesty at the earliest possible moment. He realised, that this was a difficult problem because not ■ only violent criminals but also collaborators were involved. | Referring to Dominion rcpresenta- ] tion at the elections, he said it would be remembered that the New Zealand- j ers and Australians, in particular, I fought in Greece and were well re- j spected there. Reports received from j British troops in the area did not substantiate Yugoslav charges about the treatment of Slav-speaking Greeks in Northern Greece. See "Rebuilding World".—Page 5.