FOOD FOR EUROPE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 April 1941, Page 6

FOOD FOR EUROPE

GREAT BRITAIN’S ATTITUDE AGREEMENT WITH SPAIN. FRENCH SENDING SUPPLIES TO GERMANY. So far Britain has had one chance and one only of supplying food-stuffs to unoccupied territory in the certain knowledge that it would not be diverted to Germany. That chance was seized when on the morning of March 4 Anglo-Norwegian forces, having removed from Lofoten Islands 215 Germans and their 10 Quisling sattclites. left in their stead consignments of food, soap, clothes and other comforts for the exclusive use of islanders. Recent British agreements with Spain for the mutual exchange of goods that are of benefit to both parties include arrangements to supply the Spanish with foodstuffs that are so badly needed in their war-worn country. These goods are likewise supplied in the knowledge that Spaniards need them and Spaniards will consume them.

The first contract signed on January 18 last provided for shipments of Canadian wheat from British stores in the United States —and as a result of these importations the Spanish Government was by the end of March able to double the meagre Spanish bread ration.

The Spanish Government admits that its first concern today is to alleviate the hunger that prevails in Spain. It is, therefore, ready for practical as' well as for political reasons to observe the strict canons of neutrality and to refrain from passing any of the newly acquired foods across the frontier into German-occupied territory. The same cannot be said of unoccupied France. Britain has from the start maintained—and events have proved her right —that occupied territory amounts to German territory for the purposes of the blockade. Unoccupied France is in a category of its own. It clamours for neutral privileges, but it is not neutral since under pressure either from Nazis oi- from the pro-Germans who mime at Vichy, it is steadily supplying Germany with foodstuffs and other war material.

The German transport programme for the period December 15 to March 1 which has—to Vichy’s doubtless discomfiture —reached London, gives details of goods, destination and order of priority, pertaining to a long list of commidities for delivery by unoccupied France to the Axis. The principal items are as follows: —

From the list two facts are clear. The first is that Admiral Darlan, in making his urgent appeal to America for food (March 10), concealed the fact that he had already arrived at an arrangement with Germany. The second is that unoccupied France is forwarding not only her own produce, but African and foreign goods she is importing via Marseilles, indeed, an Italo-German commission at that port is “with force behind it examining all ships, which arrive and is employing that force to lequi sition about sixty per cent of raw materials and foodstuffs destined for France” (“Le Democrate,” Switzerland, March 6, 1941). In fact, Marseilles has replaced the “non-belliger-ent Italy” of a year ago as the principal leak in the British blockade. We in Britain do not relish the thought of making Frenchmen hungry. We proved as much when following Admiral Darlan’s appeal we agreed at the end of March to pass two foodships from America through our blockade. But news of his undisclosed arrangement with Germany puts a different complection on the affair. Opinions hardened both in London and Washington at the sight of French eggs consigned to Cologne. French grain to Mannheim and French meat to Italy. Clearly we defeat one of our own best war weapons if we feed Admiral Darlan with commodities that he is under contract to supply to our enemy. Only if we could be certain that food would pass straight from American hands into French mouths could we consent to provision Admiral Darlan’s area. And would the Nazis let him arrange this? Probably not. Such a service of humanity would not suit their book because it would make Britain and America too popular.

Goods Tonnage Priority Bauxite .... 30,000 1 Magnesium .... 10/000 Absolute Rubber .... 1.700 1 Oats .... 90.000 2 Cattle for slaugther -12.500 head 1 Chilean Nitrates .... 2.200 Absolute Slaughtered pigs .... 1,220 - 1. Eggs 1,200 1 Petrol 4,000 Absolute hectolitres Coffee .... 3.000 4 (A hectolitre is gallons.) roughly 22 Imperial