WectnesHay, Aprils,
2
DAILY NEBRASKAN
fcdiiohiaL
QommsmL
Student, prof present pro and eon of Hoover
plan to send food to European democracies
Schroeder pledges support .
In order to make any intelligent decision as to the
merits of the Hoover plan for sending food to the small
democracies of Europe it is necessary to understand its
aims and actual workings.
Three important phases of the program must first
be noticed. First: Its purpose. It is contended by the op
position that Germany would favor such a plan only If
she considered that it would be of benefit to her. The
purpose of the plan, however, is to alleviate the condi
tions of the inhabitants of conquered Europe without
aiding either England or Germany, at least to any ap
preciable extent.
Second, the food sent from the United States will be
a supplement to the domestic supply and to the 1,000,000
bushels of wheat per month which Germany will be re
quired, under the terms of the plan, to give. It will not
decrease Germany's contribution. Nor will Germany be
able to seize any of this food without the knowledge of
the American relief commission which will supervise the
feeding, as the food will be handled through soup kitch
ens, and Individuals will be required to get each meal
separately.
It has been said by opponents of the plan that the
German government will give its victims more than
the 1,000,000 bushels of whrat per month if the Hoover
plan is not carried out, and that therefore food we send
to Europe will merely release that amount to the Ger
mans. To disprove this statement it is necessary to
study the aims of the nazi government as opposed to
those o fthe Hoover relief commission. The former
will furnish only enough food to keep the Belgian peo
ple alive, and to keep the men at work in her factories.
Together with domestic supplies (Dr. Gray has de
clared Western Europe to be 85 percent self sufficient),
1,000,000 bushels of wheat per month should easily ac
complish this task. With her own people on strict food
rations, Germany does not feel that she is able to give
more supplies.
The Hoover relief commission, on the other hand,
seeks to keep the Belgian people well fed and healthy.
Its program is directed especially for the aid of mothers
and children, whom, since they are non-essential to her
war machinery, Germany will, to a large degree, neglect,
keeping them alive but undernourished. There is no ques
tion, with it, of a food shortage. On the contrary, the
Hoover plan will pay the United States government cash
for crop surplusses which are now serving no useful pur
pose. Third, an initial experiment will be made in Bel
gium to test whether these people can be fed without
giving military advantage to either side. If Germany
fails to carry out her promises, the plan will be dropped.
If the plan is successful, it will be adapted for Poland,
Norway, Holland, and France as well, and possibly
Finland, where a food shortage exists, but where the
problem may be met more easily by any relief agency,
since the country Is not occupied by hostile armies.
Ralph Schroeder.
Gray in opposition
Ex-presidcnt Hoover requests the American people to
demand that England relax her blockade in order that
Belgians be fed. I believe his proposal should be rejected.
We have as a nation adopted the policy of aiding Eng
land. Giving aid to England's enemy stultifies our na
tional policy. The English believe that relaxing the
blockade would aid their enemy, and they are shedding
their blood.
Those who believe that starvation must be pre
vented must first show why they have ignored Spain
a year ago as desperate as Belgium now is and now
Infinitely worse to concentrate upon the less serious
case of Belgium. If they are interested in Christianity
and humanitarianism why not feed Spain first where
aid to Germany and harm to England is not in ques
tion? Choice of the less serious case may easily provide
a plausible cover for those who are opposed to our na
tional policy but who consider it inadvisable to say so.
Before the German occupation, oils, fats and wheat
were available for Belgium in other countries now oc
cupied. This production and stores have been and are
being taken by Germany. They feed her war effort while
she boasts of her self sufficiency and reserves. The fish
and fish oils of Norway; the wheat, sugar and potatoes
of occupied France; and the meats and fats that pass
from unoccupied France all should go to Belgium be
fore we ask the English to relax their blockade.
Great claims have been made for the previous suc
cess in preventing Belgian aid from helping Germany.
Last August Hoover was asked to explain given cases
of American food then feeding Germans. He has never
answered. His own peculiar record of requesting U. S.
aid for Russians and later opposing it for Americans
should be considered. Nor is it inappropriate when he
predicts Belgium starvation to remember his prediction
about growing grass.
There are many ways of showing that the blockade
cannot be relaxed without increasing German war po
tential. For example the equation American wheat re
placing German potatoes and thus making more alcohol,
that is an equivalent for gasoline can be worked out
easily. (Likewise fats to explosives) Germany now taxes,
entirely apart from her other gains from that country,
Belgium 53,000,000 yearly. (That will not be available for
Belgium's destitute as long as Germany hopes that
America will see that the destitute are relieved) Hoover
by his campaign is encouraging Germany to make Bel
gium destitute. They can easily believe that the more
they starve Belgium the more Hoover will want to give
all increasing their war potential.
Those who ask the American government to interfere
ought first to study both sides of the question. The case
against the proposal is readily available but no highly
skilled propaganda agency is pushing it upon the public
Loyalty to our established national policy ought to be
enough to lead Americans to study the facts before
they act
G. W. Gray.
(Bulhiht
The cause overall
For the past six weeks the foreign policy of this
country has been "every aid to Britain short of war."
And the reason this country has accepted that policy ia
because its statesmen right or wrong feel that a victory
by England is essential to American economic security
for years to come. All the materials and was supplies
that America can muster, that policy suggests, must be
forwarded to England immediately, before it is too late.
Waiving any discussion of whether the tenets of
this policy are well founded or not, so long as this
country accepts that policy as its own, so long as it be
lieves that a German victory will mean a collapse of
American markets, and economic suppression with a
lower standard of living to follow, the goals of the
policy must be realized irregardless of temporary sac
rifices by the American people.
This is no time for labor to be quibbling over mo
mentary increases in wages or over collective bargaining
principles. This is no time for strikes, walkouts or other
efforts which will slow up our defense production. For
by acting in that manner we are making it easier for
our accepted cause to be defeated and for permanent,
stringent conditions to become widespread.
Statements like that of William H. Davis, vice chair
man of defense mediation boards to the effect that "gov
ernment intervention now to prevent strikes is subjecting
the American people to slavery" disregards altogether
the fact that over failure to intervene, or the failure of
the worker to work, may mean much more serious hard
ships to follow.
The worker now fears being overworked for a
cause that a million and a half American soldiers may
have to endanger their lives. This cause as public opin
ion has accepted it is victory for our own sake. Which
means the future of this country presumably depends
upon the immediate response to Europe's cry for arms.
We are therefore working to protect our way of life,
our foreign markets, and our economic system itself.
Many may justly criticize the policy accepted by
this country. Many may charge that the fears of our peo
ple have been instilled in them by a government desirous
of world wide influence at any price. But regardless of
these beliefs, American public opinion has spoken.
Through its representatives in congress it has accepted
the above policy. And since it has, America must stand
together. Our influence abroad depends upon that unity,
and the aid this country can offer depends upon the sac
rifices individuals within the country will make.
It is asking a lot to say labor must not strike. But
it is asking no more than to ask a man to join the
army, or to defend this country in any other way.
We may change our policy, that is true. But so
long as we don't; so long as we believe the things
America as a whole now believes; labor, capital, the In
dividuals everywhere must look beyond themselves. It
would be disastrous to force the government to sup
press the workers and enslave them against their will.
And this will not be necessary If the laborer himself
sees the importance of national unity in a time of crisis.
But if he doesn't see the need and doesn't by his own
free will cooperate, we fear a war regime will dictate its
own terms here as well as abroad. For the stakes are too
high. America cannot endanger democracy itself, which
it believes is endangered, by selfish dissention within.
The
Daily Nebraskan
Speaker-
( Continued from page 1.)
braskans will take place earlier,
however, as he will be the guest
at a luncheon at the Union ar
ranged by Dean R. A. Lyman of
the pharmacy college.
Prof. Joseph E. A. Alexis will tral, West, and South to be held
attend the Association of Modern at the Drake Hotel, Chicago,
Language Teachers of the Cen- April 18-19.
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CLASSIFIED
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WANTED A ride to Sioux City Wednes
day about 3 o'clock. Call Bud Margulies,
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TUXEDOES WANTLD
Trade In your Tuxedo lor new Sprint
Clothe. We need 50 more Tux's to fill
our rental stork. Your Tux accepted
a payment on any Spring Clothing.
ELUNGER S, 12th at P.
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Do you need any tooth paste,
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148 No. 14th &P Phone 2-1060
ALL MAKES OF
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Until April 15th . . .
Commission obligation cease for men when they are conscripted
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DAYU SCHOOL SERVICE
Ska (Us, Lkuk rUmu
lews
PreienU
Friday, April 11
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Hal opens May 1 In New
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the Midwest
EASTER GREETING CARDS
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17
