Unrest and U.N.R.R.A.
It is not inappropriate that Mr. Bevin's first public speech as / Foreign Secretary should have been addressed to a meeting of the Council of U.N.R.R.A., and his declaration that Great Britain means to see U.N.R.R.A. through is very welcome. At the same time it is just as well to remind the rest of the United Nations that the relief organisation cannot be carried on the shoulders of Great Britain, the United States and Canada alone. All three countries will almost certainly have to increase substantially the already large sums they have contributed, and that means not merely a continuing burden on their taxpayers, but a pro- longation of their submission to rationing. All that must be faced, not merely for the sake of humanity, but because starvation in Europe—and nothing less than actual starvation is in question— is all too apt to lead to food-riots and dangerously spreading un- rest; there is particular fear of that among the industrial popula- tion in Northern Italy, and equally in Greece. It is undoubtedly the case that U.N.R.R.A. has so far not appeared to fulfil expecta- tions. That is partly because the Allied Powers supporting it have not been able to supply its full needs in commodities and trans- port, partly because for various reasons U.N.R.R.A. in its higher ranges is not as efficiently staffed as might be desired, partly because in both Britain and the United States authoritative deci- sions and prompt executive action in regard to U.N.R.R.A. are difficult to obtain. This week's Council meeting should have the useful effect of exciting public interest, and consequently official interest, in U.N.R.R.A.'s needs. The warnings Mr. Lehman, the Director-General of U.N.R.R.A., uttered at the second session ot the Council on Wednesday, were grave, emphatic and manifestly necessary. A stern fight is in store between U.N.R.R.A. and a European winter. For U.N.R.R.A. to win it needs greatly increased supplies of food, fuel and lorries—for food that cannot be taken where it is wanted might as well not exist. If U.N.R.R.A. loses, anarchy will win instead.
Previous page
