WAR TOPICS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 259, 17 January 1941, Page 2

WAR TOPICS

by The Beacon Watchman

THE HOME FRONT

THE CONSUMER JOINS BATTLE "We are attacking the enemy. We are striking hard blows. To do this we have .had to divert' some of the shipping which previously was cany ing our meat. We arc delsherateiy sacrificing meat at home I'or munitions in Libya." This was the Crank statement oi the British Minister oi' Food on January 3. He was speaking to a people ready to give and capable of giving much more than it has given hitherto 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 it called for,, but because it thought the budget inadequate to deal with Hitler. This week when he firebombs London the lire squads while away Hie lulls between the showers of incendiaries by chant ing "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. II a tighter belt will help, \\e 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 vatiety. Contrary to the impression that prevailed abroad, the first 1.2 to 14 months of war seldom if ever caused him to slint himself or go without. Though touched, he felt slightly embarrassed when generous hampers reached him from overseas. Rationing affected him little. It was not introduced until January, 3940, and then applied only to tour 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 Goebbcls proclaimed that "All privately owned horses have been requisitioned in. England. Horses unfit for any services have been slaughtered to replenish England's rapidly dwindling stocks of meat." And Avhen he said: "The Ministry of Food, lins announced that white bread cannot be relied on till next spring." Full Measure. The drop in the butter ration to ■ 207S (September, 1940), brought the first hint of war effort into his larder, but even then he felt no shortage, thanks to generous supplies of other fats. Further,, in contrast to his fellows in enemy territory, he could always; get his full ration. As Fred Bate, the U.S. commentator broadcast from London; "One of 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 broad cast of the same date: "Eggs are so scarce in England that the population forms queues hundreds deep, though they cost twenty shillings a dozen. Such is the pitiable plight of Britain." (Note: The controlled price of eggs was at the time three shillings and ninepencc) . Incidentally enemy news services never stop overworking this "food shortage" theme. German propagandists are at present plugging the same story about Athens and witlX equally little foundation. Chri'stmas Fare, 1940. This was nearly as good as usual, thanks to timely cargoes of oranges and to a double ration in Christmas week of sygar and tea. And, as for nnrationed foods, let an eye-witness speak for himself: "For there far below ground live 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 on slab cake, one half hundredweight of jam, .1% hundredweight of sweets, three, dozen tins of fish ftaste, and 75 loaves. In addition «ach child received an orange, an apple., a toy, a book and two crack,ers. (Daily Telegraph). Fair Shares. Tke public view that all are reatly to go short provided all gr» •share and .share alike, was voiced by the ..Eastbourne Town Council in {Continued at foot of next column^

a resolution: To-day it-is the nation's wish that its food should be spread so as to secure the maximum of cial and productive usefulness. "It is it's 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 kmk to shorter rations as no hardship provided that their tribute brings more munitions from America or L-ivv.s more guns to Greece. Thcv uek-onn-so activc and personal n >h:tre in the war. And if the Minister .1' Food should turn to them again, there arc many more non-essentials they feel they, can fettfsoii jif ;%rder to go in and