AN IMMENSE TASK

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 13, 11 October 1943, Page 4

AN IMMENSE TASK

A speaker in Wellington during the week drew attention to the task confronting the Allied countries “of feeding the starving nations of the world,” but it may come in stages, as the forces of the United Nations reoccupy lands overrun by the enemy. Just what would be involved if the task had to be undertaken at once was. shown during a recent debate in the House of Commons. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare said that in Germanoccupied Europe, excluding occupied Russia, there were moie than 30,000,000 children. Two-thirds of them lived in rural districts where perhaps food supplies of a sort could be obtained, but there were over 10,000,000 children in towns and cities wholly dependent/ upon the supplies made available. And in addition to the children a there is the adult population. . The Anglo-American authorities have already put into operation plans for the restoration of the normal activities of people in the territories occupied by their forces, and that is no mean achievement. In the first month or two of the landing in North Africa it was necessary to provide food for the civil population, but then the people got to work and already are said to be practically self-supporting in this respect. Indeed, next year it is anticipated that they will be able to furnish large quantities of foodstuffs for peoples elsewhere. Tripohtania may send food to the impoverished Italians in whatever area the Allies may hold on the. mainland. The. production of Sicily is receiving attention, for the Allied organization formed and trained for the purpose has restored order and freed the peasants to go ahead with their usual work. The same state of affairs will soon obtain in Southern Italy, and in Sardinia. No small portion of the Mediterranean coastal lands has already been freed to produce, and that should be able to make, a timely contribution to the supplies needed. And if, as seems inevitable, the Nazi claws on various countries are wrenched loose one by one then the organization will be available to resuscitate. former industries. In Norway, for instance, the fisheries will certainly be restored as quickly as possible, and the supply of stock foods will at least assist ’the Danes to re-establish their depleted herds. The process of freeing lands from Nazi tyranny may be gradual, and the task of succouring the distressed peoples will be extended in the same way. ■ The same process may be possible in the Far East. The recovery of Burma, besides reopening the Burma Road for .'the benefit of the Chinese, would at the same time restore to the Allies a country with immense productive capacity, thus easing the strain of piovidmg oo in India and elsewhere. What was lost, in the shape of productive reserves, when Japan swept over the East Indies, will be regained in due time and the supplies again be made available. Ihe stricken area to be dealt with is smaller today than it was only a year ago, and it Will continue to dwindle. „ . • The depressing thing is that the countries still suffering contain the largest populations, and the outlook for the coming winter must be terrible to contemplate. But the fact remains that the only hope of succour lies in an Allied victory. The Nazis have only des P oll . ed and looted and coerced. That is their sorry record, but the Allies mean to restore, rebuild, and recommence.