Rogue River Courier

HOOVER SAYS
WE MUST LIFT
HUN BLOCKADE
EXPLAINS THAT
GERMANS
CAN
TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES
IF GIVEN CHANCE
NOT WORRYING ABOUT BOCHE
Would Get That Country on Stable
Basis So She Can Repay the
French
New York, Nov. 18. The problem
of feeding Germany is not one of go-
ing to their relief, but of relaxing the
blockade "so that the people may se-
cure for themselves the bare neces-
sities that will give stable govern-
ment," said Herbert C. Hoover, food
administrator, before sailing for Eu-
rope to discuss food measures
for
relief of starving populations.
'There has been a great deal of
unnecessary furore in this country
about feeding the Germans," he said.
"We are not worrying about the Ger-
mans.
They can take care of them-
themselves if given a chance; but the
water-tight blockade has to be aban-
doned. If there is an advance re-
laxation of the blockade, Germany
can get food-fish from Norway and
Sweden and grain from Argentina,
but the blockade will have to be lift-
ed. What is desired most now is for
Germany to get some sort of stable
basis so she can pay the money she
owes to France and Belgium."
Mr. Hoover said that he expected
to be in London only a day or two.
He will then go to Paris to attend
the allied conferences at Versailles.
His work may take him into Belgium
but he does not expect to meet any
of the German food administrators.
He expects to return to America by
Christmas to confer with the presi-
dent before beginning his actual ad-
ministration abroad in cooperation
with the allies.
Continuing his discussion of Eu-
ropean food conditions, Mr. Hoover
said:.
"Arrangements have long
since
been completed by which the big al-
lies, that is, France, England and
Italy, will be provisioned. This cov-
ers 15,000,000 people.
"Our first and deepest concern
now must be for the little allies who
were under the German yoke; they
are the Belgians, Serbians, Rouman-
ians, Greeks, Czechs, Jugo-Slavs and
others. There are some 7,500,000
people in these groups and they must
be systematically helped at once. We
have already doubled the stream of
food flowing toward Belgium.
'There is a great problem in the
situation of the enemy people-about
90,000,000. I would certainly ap-
proach this problem with mixed feel-
ings, having been long a witness to
the robbery of food from women and
children and the destruction of mil-
lions of tons of food at sea and to
the misery under which the millions
amongst the big and little allies have
suffered under the German yoke."
Discussing domestic conditions,
the food administrator said that the
regulation forbidding brewing after
December 1 would not be rescinded,
but that it would expire with peace.
There is enough beer in the country
to last four or five months, he said.