The Tragedy of Hunger in the World

What every person must attend to:

The whole world has been alarmed by what has lately been disclosed to it of the grave food situation the world now faces. We now have two statements before us: one delivered by the Minister of Food in the British House of Commons, and the other the report of the Emergency Committee on Economic Conditions in Europe. This report is an official summary of grain statistics, and it includes as well the answers to certain questions bearing on this subject.

It may be well to summarize the facts which the events disclose. The most important factor in the crisis is the shortage of grains, especially wheat and rice. Sir Ben Smith stated that the quantities of wheat held by the four exporting countries, which were estimated at some 46 million tons in July 1943, have fallen to about 22 million; and the same is true of the European crop, whose quantities fell from 45 million tons to 23 million. It became clear from the discussions held in Washington that the amounts that can be made ready for export during the six months of 1946 will not exceed 12 million tons.

This severe situation has arisen as a result of the fluctuation of weather conditions in most countries, and the striking of Australia, Argentina, and North and South Africa by a severe wave of drought and dryness.

Nor is the rice crop any less serious than the wheat crop. In Madras a storm arose, one of whose results was the assault of a violent tidal wave upon the coast, destroying about 750 thousand tons of rice, while the monsoon winds ruined the following crop. The result was a deficit in the quantities of rice estimated at some five or seven million tons.

As for the deficit in fats, that has been a known matter for some time. The shortage has been increased by the shortfall in peanuts, from which oil is extracted, and by the weather conditions that have made the hunting of whales for their oil a matter of great difficulty. As for meat, there are no signs from which the countries wishing to import it may take hope; and sugar likewise is very scarce. Europe's production of beet sugar last season is estimated at about four million tons below prewar production, while imports from the Philippines have fallen to a few thousand tons.

Concerning our internal financial position, the British Minister of Food says: the difficulties surrounding it have compelled us to reduce our imports of dried eggs, quite apart from the other restrictions that will be imposed upon us if the American Congress does not approve the loan agreement. Also causing anxiety is the shortage of the quantities of cheese and starch; the one thing in which there may be some consolation is that some improvement will probably occur in the quantities of fish, fruit, milk, and potatoes. For the first time since the month of March, complete statistics have been drawn up of the quantities of food stored in this country. On comparing the stocks of last March with the stocks at the end of December, it appears that the quantities fell from 6 million to 4,200 tons. Even so, we are compelled to make a further reduction in our wheat imports, estimated at some 250 thousand tons.

The inevitable result of these factors for this country is dark bread, the loss of dried eggs, the lack of the additions to the quantities of feed allotted to animals and poultry that had been expected last year, a cut of an ounce in the fat ration, and the possibility of its being cut further later on.

But if England suffers shortage, there are other countries threatened by famine, and there is grave danger of famine in India and many regions of the Far East. Sir Ben said: "Many millions of people in Europe and the Far East will face the danger of famine, and 125 million in Europe will have to endure life on foods whose nutritive value does not exceed two thousand calories a day; in some regions this figure may fall to a thousand calories. Two thousand calories is the lowest figure that preserves health. The figure in England ranges between 2,800 and 2,900 calories, while in the United States it reaches three thousand."

In Europe the figure falls far below two thousand calories in a number of

heavily populated centers. In the British and American zones of occupation the authorities are working to secure a level of 1,550 calories. That level has so far been maintained, but keeping it up requires the importing of large quantities; and in the other regions the position appears worse. Perhaps the most wretched regions are Budapest and the environs of Wiener Neustadt, Austria and certain parts of Poland, Yugoslavia, Germany, and western Russia — where the great destruction has left millions of people without shelter — together with Slovakia and the isolated regions of Greece.

Such is the sum of the situation; what, then, are we doing to meet it?... It is regrettable that the swift collapse of the food situation was not foreseen in its true light, at an early date, by either peoples or governments. Now that the position has become clear, America has begun to save wheat by increasing the quantity of flour extracted from it and forbidding its use in the production of alcohol, and she hopes to save about 1,200 thousand tons. President Truman has even spoken of rationing the quantities of food.

But this is not easy, because America lifted all restrictions on foods except sugar a few months ago, multiplied her production of butter to a great degree, and estimated the quantities of meat available as guaranteeing every individual in the world 40 pounds a year over and above prewar consumption. Canada has now reduced the quantities of butter.

Australia has promised to forbid the use of wheat as feed for animals, and has begun to consume the reserve she usually keeps against the dangers of drought.