World Food Con ference: How can we sur viv
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By JAY HIRSCHMAN
and STEVE GOLD
THE WORLD Food confer-
ence, convened at the urg-
ing of the United States to dis-
cuss world hunger, gaveled to
a close this weekend. What has
emerged from the rhetoric, par-
ties, pleas for help and serious
discussion is agreement, at least
in principle, on four points:
1. That 10 million tons of food
is necessary for emergency re-
lief each year.
2. An internationally coordin-
ated system of national grain
reserves is necessary.
3. A data sharing and early
warning system is needed to
help alert the world to any
climatic or other threats to food
supplies or sudden surges in de-
mand
4. The formation of a World
Food Council under the United
Nations is appropriate.
THE MAJOR failure of t h e
conference was on the first
point. An agreement in princi-
ple as to the amount of food
needed for relief does nothing
to feed the estimated 500 million
people who go hungry or t h e
thousands who starve to death
daily.
Among the major food produc-
ers, only Canada committed a
specified quantity - 1 million
tons of grain. The U.S., world
leader in aid since World War
II, was unwilling to make such
a commitment.
The Democratic Senators at-
tending the conference, D i c k
Clark of Iowa, Hubert H u m -
phrey of Minnesota and George
McGovern of South Dakota, urg-
ed President Ford to commit
a million tons. Apparently, the
administration feels that such
a commitment would increase
inflationary pressures in the
U.S. and fears public outrage
due to higher food cost3.
THESE FEARS of highSr 'food
costs do not seem realistic. The
brokers and speculators dealing
in the grain futures market are
well aware of the l kelihood of
increased food aid and the in-
creasing world demand for :ood.
U.S. Ambassador Edwin M.
Martin, deputy chairman of the
American delegation to t ;i e
World Food Conference has
even acknowledged publically
that "we will probably bo giv-
ing that much" in additional
food aid. Besides, the current
cost of the wheat in a leaf of
bread is only 7.4 cents; the
rest of the cost is due to ad4di-
tives, processing, shipping and
profit.
The administration's reluct-
ance to make a commitment at
this time may be due to (ther
factors. As the leader in aid
over the last generation, the
U.S. has had the opportunity to
use aid to spread its influence.
Perhaps the real fear is for loss
of that influence to an inter-
national body.
WE CAN expect other ob-
stacles to cooperation in this
international planning effort
from others in this country.
Speculators in grain futures d-
pend on secret information to
reap large profits. An effective
international data sharing sys-
tem is a threat to their profi-
teering.
Earl Butz, U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture who headed o u r
delegation to the World F o u d
Conference, may be another ob-
stacle. The New York Times
has said of him, "In the past
year the disparity between Mr.
Butz's statements and the real-
ities of the food outlook h a s
become almost lunatic." He is
opposed to a nationally h e 1 d
gain reserve in this country for
fear that it will depress the
market price of grain.
IT IS TIME for the people
of this country, as individuals
and as a nation, to come to grips
with the world food problem.
We should follow the example
of the World Food Council and
establish a single governmental
organization to have power over
and responsibility for the co-
ordination of U.S. national and
foreign policy on food and nu-
trition. It should be headed by
someone more in touch with the
realities of human needs and
how they can best be met than
Earl Butz.
Public opinion on the fool is-
sue is still being formed. Con-
gress and the administration can
only be responsive to the will of
the people if they are aware of
that opinion. People will respond
negatively to the rising price of
food and blame it on foreign
aid if they are uninformed. A
decrease in the amount of grai-a
used to feed animals would free
up supplies for relief to starving
people and help hold down the
price of food.
ONE SIMPLE way to lessen
the economic burden of food
costs for consumers and release
large supplies of grain is to de-
mand that retail outlets stock
grass-finished instead of grain-
finished beef. In trial projects
in British Columbia, .3aoppers
flocked to markets to buy grass-
finished beef because it aver-
aged 80 cents a pound for meat
that is more nutritious due to
the decreased fat content.
This change in meat produc-
tion should be coupled with a
personal decrease in meat con-
sumption. Harvard nutritionist
Jean Mayer has suggested that
we abstain from eating meat
two days a week and decrease
our alcohol consumption.
We should also realize that
the food we serve to pets could
be channeled to starving people
around the world.
THE LACK of information
that helped .complicate the oil
crisis need not affect the food
nroblem if a full disclosure of
information important -tc politi-
cal decisions is made manda-
tory. Legislators should be giv-
en support in this to overcome
the influencing pressures from
the speculators in the food fu-
tures market.
Efforts should be made to pre-
their the population to meet their
THE PROPOSED World Food Council will be responsible fof
coordinating, but not controlling, the work of all United Nations
agencies now dealing with food. The Council will also supervise
and coordinate:
1. An agricultural development fund
2. A fertilizer aid program to improve current supplies and
production capability
3. A pesticide aid program including research into environ-
mental questions
4. An irrigation, drainage and flood control program
5. A nutrition aid program
6. The recognition of women's role in agriculture and the food
system, their right to equality, and the special nutritional needs
of mothers
7. "Achievement of a desirable balance between population and
the food supply"
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own nutritional needs economi-
cally now. Nutrition education
should also be introduced :nto
schools at all grade levels to
prepare our children to use food
efficiently in the future.
Local and national organiza-
tion is underway in relief ef-
forts, consciousness-raising and
other action. Oxfam-America is
sponsoring a national "Fast For
a World Harvest" this Thurs-
day, November 2-. This action
is supported locally by a num-
ber of groups, including t h e
Student Nutrition Action Com-
mittee and the Newman Center
(663-0557), which is serving as
the local receiving center for
the collection. Two hundred
thousand people are expected Mo
participate across the nation.
THE AFRICAN Students A.s-
sociation (769-3094) and the
Ecumenical Campus Center
(662-3580) have been collecting
funds for drought relief for some
time. They are sponsoring a fast
day and fund collection on Wed-
nesday, December 4 wheni a
typical meal in an African refu-
gee camp will be served at a
noontime rally on the Diag.
The Student Nutrition Action
Committee (665-2291, 764-8461)
is currently planing the local a -
rangements for a nationwide
Food Day to take place early
this spring, coordinated nation-
ally by the Center for Science in
the Public Interest. A general
planning meeting of university
ad commumity people is sched-
pled for the evening of Thurs-
day, December 5.
The World Food Conference
served to focus the attention of
the neonle of the world on the
food problem.
FROM THIS beginning, we
must assume responsibility for
feeding the world and dividing
io the resources equitably. The
Warl1 Food Co" ference closed
on this note: "Every man, wo-
m-n and child his the inalien-
able rieht to be free from hun-
ger and malnutrition" . . . the
battle against hunger is the
"common resoonsibility of all
countries." These are bold
words, but they do not feed the
hungry.
Jay Hirschman and Steve
Gold are graduate students in
the department of flu man Nu-
trition, School of Public Health,
and members of the Ad-hoc
Steering Comnittee of the Stn.-
dent Nutrition Action Commit-
tee.
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Eighty-four years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Tuesday, November 19, 1974
News Phone: 764-0552
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104
Victory to the miners strike!
Is Rocky really qualified?
J AST WEEK, President Ford exhort-
ed Congress to quickly approve
Nelson Rockefeller as vice president.
He said that he could imagine no
circumstances that would lead him
to withdraw the nomination. Ford is
standing firm on his choice despite
the startling revelations concerning
Rockefeller's use of his tremendous
wealth. Perhaps he is urging prompt
confirmation before further damag-
ing information is uncovered. Con-
gress certainly should act quickly on
the nomination, but reject it, not ap-
prove it.
Ford feels that there was "no po-
litical chicanery" involved in about
$2 million in loans and gifts by
Rockefeller to public officials. New
York - New Jersy Port Authority chief
William J. Ronan alone received
$625,000. It's too bad that not every-
one has Ford's confidence. In deal-
ing with such a large sum of money,
one has to wonder whether there
were any favors or obligations in-
volved. There also is the small de-
tail of the approximately $1 million
Rockefeller owes in back taxes. Would
he have ever had to pay them if it
wasn't for 'the confirmation proceed-
ings?
JT IS VERY difficult to determine
exactly where Nelson Rockefel-
ler's influence ends and that of his
family and friends begins. Nelson
Rockefeller himself does not need
to directly use his money or influ-
ence when he can have a member of
his family or a friend do something
in his interest. The Rockefeller fam-
ily secretly donated $200,000 to Rich-
ard Nixon's 1972 campaign. His bro-
ther Laurance paid the bills in the
publishing of a biography critical of
Nelson's Democratic opponent for the
New York governorship in 1970. It
seems clear that the dummy Dela-
ware corporation used to publish the
book was an attempt to conceal the
Rockefeller role in financing the pro-
ject. How does one answer the ques-
tion that this represented a misuse of
wealth in politics?
THE AVERAGE American taxpayer
no doubt is thrilled that Laur-
ance Rockefeller intends to claim a
$58172 income tax deduction on the
loss he suffered in publishing the
book. Poor Americans naturally sym-
ernment in paying a loss for some-
thing we wish we had not done, but
as a matter of principle I hope we re-
cover." Of course, "the United States
government" simply means the aver-
age American taxpayer. The "princi-
ple" involved may be perfectly legal,
but morally speaking the whole in-
cident reeks. Of course, one does not
become a millionaire without using
every single tax-loophole and favor-
able law to one's utmost advantage.
This type of "principle" has direct
bearing on Nelson Rockefeller's fit-
ness to be vice president. In a time
of great world and national crisis, is
Rockefeller the man of high moral
character needed to lead this coun-
try? One finds it hard to believe that
his sympathies lie with unemoloyed
workers and inflation - battered con-
sumers, rather than corporations and
bankers. No one has any objection
to Ford naming Rockefeller to head
a Council for Inflating corporation
profits. A vice president, however,
must represent all the people.
QOME PEOPLE HAVE mentioned
that Rockefeller has a keen
knowledge of foreign affairs and
would serve as a good ambassador
from the United States. Can't you just
see it? There he would stand in his
$200 suit with a $2 CARE gift pack-
age in his hand, waving to the crowd
in some poor Third World country.
Their most likely response would be
to give him a gift as well: rotten eggs
and vegetables would shower his
shiny black Cadillac in a manner
surnassing the spectacular ticker-
tape parades of New York in days
gone by.
In a recent Gallup Poll, when ask-
ed whether Ford needs a man like
Rockefeller to help him run the
country based on the President's past
nerformance, 45 per cent said 'no'
while 41 per cent said 'yes'. Obvious-
ly, Rockefeller is not the overwhelm-
ing favorite of the American people
for this job.
PRESIDENT FORD has stated, "I
think's he's the most qualified
person to be vice president." It seems
hard to believe that in a nation of
210 million people with so many
caonble workers in all levels of gov-
ernment, that not one man or woman
is more qualified for the office of
vice nresident than Nelson Rocke-,
By JANET ROSS
N MIDNIGHT, 12 November, t h e
United Mine Workers Association
(UMWA) called a nation-wide s t r i k e
against the Bituminous Coal Operators'
Association (BCOA). The coal industry,
which is largely owned by the huge oil
'monopolies, increased its profits an
average of 181 per cent last year. By
contrast, with the cost of living soaring
12.1 per cent last year by official figures,
coal miners average wages rose only
8 per cent. Thus, the miner's real
wages fell 4 per cent in 1973.
Coal mining, it is widely accepted, is
the most dangerous occupation in this
country. The New York Times of 12
November quotes UMWA President Arn-
old Miller as saying that since bargaining
began on 3 September, 39 miners have
been killed in the mines. The Spartacist
League, a labor-socialist organization,
and its youth section, the Spartacus
Youth League, support mine workers in
their fight for better working conditions
and a decent standard of living. It is the
opinion of the SL/SYL however, that the
issues in this conflict go beyond the bar-
gaining table. The outcome of this strug-
gle in one of America's key industries
will most certainly have effects far be-
yond the embattled coalfields. Today, as
the nation's economic downturn worsens,
the coal barons maintain grossly-inflat-
ed profits by actually driving down the
living standards of those who work in the
dust-filled coal shafts. Students and work-
ers outside the UMWA should support
and defend the miners' strike.
PITTING THOSE who own the mines
against those who dig the coal, the
mine workers' strike poses a fundament-
al question for the labor movement:
what is the strategy for winning? The
miners' demands for wage increases and
a cost-of-living clause to keep up with
inflation along with improved safety con-
ditions and the right to refuse to work
unsafe mines are minimal though import-
ant demands. A strategy to win must ad-
dress these questions while also at-
tempting to mobilize the organized power
of theUMWA aroundabroader, more
basic questions that face miners and the
rest of the labor movement. For exam-
ple, one of the immediate problems fac-
ing the miners' strike is that 150 million
tons of coal is mined each year by about
50,000 non-union mine workers. Similarly,
with unemployment rising to the highest
levels since World War II, strikebreak-
ers - scabs - wil be easily recruited.
To counter this, a campaign should be
launched to organize the hundreds of un-
cost of living. This conception has long
been popularized in the slogan "thirty
hours work for forty hours pay."
A NATIONAL COAL strike of any sig-
nificant duration will doubtless be met
with government intervention. If this
occurs, the facade of "neutrality" will
be quickly stripped away as the state
moves against the miners in the inter-
ests of the coal owners. Just as the
organized labor movement must stand
opposed in principle to obvious strike-
breaking laws that will be used against
the miners - such as the Taft-Hartley
law - it must oppose any and all inter-
vention by the government into the af-
fairs of labor organizations, trade un-
ions, and political parties. Bringing the
courts or the Labor Department into the
union, such as was done when Arnold
Miller gained control of the UMWA, can
only serve to weaken the labor move-
ment.
During the UMWA strikes in Harlan
County, Kentucky, this past year, at
least two strikers were shot and many
injured as the companies and local and
state police demonstrated their willing-
ness to use unrestrained violence against
the strike. The UMWA, with the aid of
other unions, must prepare and organize
to defend picket lines against this kind
of attack. The police in Harlan Coun-
ty, and police in general, have a well-
deserved reputation as strikebreakers.
In fact, police are only the hired guns
of private property. The labor move-
ment is capable of organizing to protect
and defend the miners from police or
company violence. That this is necessary
is demonstrated by the history of Harlan
County.
THE WAGES, benefits, and "costs" of
improved safety conditions are labeled
"inflationary" and unreasonable by the
energy monopolies and officials in Wash-
ington. Much of the coal industry is
owned by oil companies, the same oil
companies who are responsible for the
contrived "energy crisis." With the ra-
tionale that "supply" was short, fuel pric-
es were raised last year. Accordingly,
the oil monopolies accrued immensely
swollen profits. The real extent of fuel
supplies was never revealed, simply be-
cause monopolists hold themselves ac-
countable to no one. The mine workers,
however, can reply to the monopolists,
demanding "Open your books to us." The
real figures and secrets of the monopol-
lists, would reveal that it is they and
not the working people who are respon-
sible for the current ills of this country
- inflation, unemployment, shortages,
regardless of any objective value to
society. Thus miners can place no faith
in Gerald Ford to maintain safe mines
and full employment, were the mines to
be nationalized. It is the miners who
must control the mining industry. As
economic chaos and anarchy are the
continual result of production for private
profit, so must workers' control result in
a workers' government that plans pro-
duction for the real needs of society.
TODAY, THESE questions, and oth-
ers equally important, face the ranks of
the UMWA. Neither the energy mono-
polies nor the government can grant
more than minimal concessions that will
be stripped away as the economic pic-
ture continues to darken. That the
UMWA leaders such as Miller rely not
on the strength of the organized miners,
but rather on first the Nixon admin-
istration and now the Ford administra-
tion, is well known. Thus, the most basic
necessities of life (jobs, housing) and
the most basic gains of working people
(democratic rights, unions) can only be
maintained and extended if a leader-
ship arises from the labor unions that
can lead a struggle for the independence
of the mine workers, and of the entire
labor movement, from the twin parties
of capital, the Democrats and the Re-
publicans. A decisive break from these
parties means the organization of a work-
ers party based on the program, or stra-
tegy, outlined above. The goal of a
workers' party can be no less than the
establishment of a workers' government
by expropriation of that class to which
the coal and oil monopolists belong -
the cnoitalist class. For the miners of the
UMWA, the auto workers of the UAW,
for the millions of organized and unor-
ganized workers, this is the strategy for
winning.
IT IS THE BELIEF of the SL/SYL
that students, although lacking the social
power of the industrial working class,
can and must support and participate in
the struggles of labor against capital.
In 1932, the National Students League
organized what is remembered today as
"the Kentucky Pilgrimage." A single
busload of students left Columbia Uni-
versity in New York to travel to the
coalfields of Harlan County, where 15,-
000 miners were on strike. The students,
who saw their purpose as simply investi-
gating both sides of the dispute, never
made it to Harlan County. They were
turned away at the Kentucky border by
an angry mob of vigilantes organized
by the mine owners and led by local
sheriffs. The incident had profound im-
who defend their living standards, this
question is once again posed for students.
Just as the "ivory towers" of the
1930's crumbled before the massive social
upheavals of the Great Depression and
world war, today's campuses will not be
isolated from the social struggles that
lay ahead. As of this writing, a tentative
contract, which must be voted on by
the UMWA ranks, has been announced in
Washington. Even though the full de-
tails of the pact have not been revealed,
it is clear that the agreement between
Miller and the BCOA does not meet the
needs of the coal miners. There are
strong indication in the national press, in
fact, that many districts, such as South-.
west Virginia, may reject the pact. The
necessity for support becomes even more
crucial as the voting continues and
pressure from company government and
even UMWA leaders to vote for the
settlement mounts. The Spartacist
League / Spartacus Youth League, as
open and avowed partisans of the work-
ing masses, declares its solidarity with
the striking miners. We urge students
to join in demonstrating support for the
strike at a rally to be held Tuesday, 19
November, at 12:00 P.M. on the Diag.
Janet Russ is a member of the Spar-
lacus Youth League.
i