BACK TO LIFE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 46, 9 February 1943, Page 6

BACK TO LIFE

AFTER THE WAR

ALLIES PLAN THE FUTURE

To-day almost the whole of Continental Europe is subject to a blockade which will not be lifted till the Nazi power in Germany has been broken. This, blockade is not only, or even mainly, directed <to the denial of foodstuffs to the enemy. Europe is not, even in normal times, wholly sol fwsupporting" in food and, since production in wartime is more incalculable, than in peace, there remains the probability of grave—if only local— shortages arising at or before the end of the war.

.The blockaded, area now includes the. whole of Europe with the exception of Switzerland and the Ibeiian peninsular. Spain is in a precarious food position. The Scandinavian countries and Holland have become potential candidates; for relief instead of sources of supplies. Greece, Norway and Belgium, three countries which in peace time are importers of bulk foodstuffs and on the last war at least received minimum supplies from overseas,, are now entirely dependent, on Ger-man-controlled economy.

Estimates of >t.he. post-war needs of food and raw materials of Europe arc now being prepared by the Allies. The technical problem of agricultural relief, t nutrition, inland transport and of supplies and. shipping are under consideration. The aim is that, by the time Europe or any part of it is free, a comprehensive plan of dealing with the emergencies that wi'll arise shall be agreed by all the Alied Governments. There is no. suggestion of taking arbitrary action on statistics prepared beforehand, but of developing plans of a flexible character yi meet the situation which is likely to arise. The supply of foodstuffs will depend, perhaps., more on the course of the Avar outside Europe and the possibility of placing stocks in positions where, .they can be drawn on at short notice. Britain Will Go Shares Wilth Europe Reconstruction must synchronise ■with relief. It is important- that, so far as possible, relief should, be initiated on sound dietaiy lines, so as to make this foundation the basis for an all-round improvement in European nutrition in the years to come. A well fed Europe will be a peaceful Europe. This result will not depend merely on a realisation of the need for improvement or in dietary education. It depends, not only for the industrial "workers but. to some, extent also for the rural population, on such an increase inspending power as."will permit the purchase of something more than the cheapest types of bulk foodstuffs. Relief is both a political and an economic concern since adequate

feeding, the prevention of epidemics, the ret.urji of people to their homes, the restocking of farms and the provision of productive employment are indispensable foundations for a stable political regime in Europe. , The state of Europe after this war may be so critical as to prompt the people of the better-off countries willingly to forego for seme months the freedoriS of purchase, which they enjoyed before the Avar, and £o demand a continuance of rationing of at least some of the vital food supplies. The contribution of the United Kingdom can be as effective in refraining from consumption as by donating supplies. We have been told that stocks of food will be on their way there, as they have been, thanks to the Allied Navies, so regularly throughout this war. May we not expect to find repeated the generous action which, on the day the last armistice was signed, prompt ed the Governments to divert cargoes; of food to northern and .southern Europe to meet acute feeding difficulties and. to transfer immediately consumable war stocks to black areas on the Continent? Will DepeTuf on Ships Evropo Aviil ncfHl raw materials as well as food 4U ;i very early point after the end of the Avar; cotton and wool for clothing, hides and leather for boots, copper for electrical power and light, and timber for rcmiilding the houses in the devastated a«yas. Shipping therefore rannnt at «4e end of the Avar be devoted solely to the carriage of foodstuffs Js'ut\nust also ->bring essential' raw material* so tjiat men can go bask to and make good the deficiencies of food, wearing apparel and dwellings'.- The construction of refrigerated tonnage Avill become an urgent problem io enab'e imuorts of meat, butter and fruit to be resumed- as rapidly as

possible. Europe will be expecting supplies of ■coffee, cocoa, rice an<l tropical fruit. Coffee has become a necessity on the Continen,. 1 . The Germans' effort to find a satisfactory brown, wet and hot substitute from acorns and barley, or anything else which .when roasted will give tlio right degree of colour, is proof of this. We in - Great Britain consume as much cocoa as the whole of the rest of Europe. A surplus of cocoa is piling up in Wes.' Africa and after the Avar, when shipping is available, Britain and the Continent Avill have cocoa in plenty.

Feeding stuffs are necessary to build ii]) the live stock population and, maize is one of tlic most important of them. There, are largo supplies but maize is bulky to ship and ships may be scarce., The hope of increasing European supplies of maize and of oil cake, so important ito the dairy industry in countries such as Denmark and Holland, rests on the development of the vast shipping prog ram file which the United, States has in hand. Each Country to be Rationed One of the subsidiary aims of relief in lfl'l9 Avas the firm establishment of a number of new or reconstructed national States. It .seems unlikely that this motive will play an important part in the future. The movement in Central and South Eastern Europe is towards regional agreements, of which the firs/t have been the Polish-Czech and the Greek-Yugoslav agreements. The possibility of wider understanding is being discussed to-day by Allied statesmen. There can probably be no immediate reversion at the end of the war to a free economy, ancl the Allied nations will' need to plan a policy to take the place of /the Nazi New Order in Europe. If this seems to be far from the sphere of postwar feeling in Europe, and of relief, it must be remembered that, for tlie first year after the war, or perhaps longer, it will lie for the Inter-Allied relief authorities to decide the quantities, not only of foodstuffs out. of raw materials, agricultural- requirements and capital goods entering each country. All Round Planning Politiical planning on a regional scale (Should be accompanied by economic planning. Industrially it should be possible to aim at preserving and. extending those branches of manufacture which are adapted to each region's natural resources, 'including labour resources, its home consumption, or payment for its. necessary imports. Agriculturally a similar plan might be followed with the .special aim of raising the additional standards in Europe. The object of a relief organisation, when it has completed the. work it has been set out to do, is to y,ive fuller opportunities for reconstructive effort. If the Allied relief organisation whose planning has now begun can, in its fuller international development, not only prevent the immediate suffering of the after-war years but leave a foundation 011 which the constiuctive agents can build, its, main purpose will have lie en fulfilled.