Suppiément au N& 37 de ” Quatridme Internationale ”
ebruary 21, 1963
ALGERIA'S RELIEF NEEDS
PARIS, Feb, 14 == What are the relief needs in Algeria? Certain dispatches in the world press picture the problem as virtually solved -- thanks to generous-hearted Uncle Sam. For instance, Algiers correspondent Peter Braestrup declared in the January 12 issue of the International Tdition of the New York Times (still being published here despite a strike against the Times in New York), that "Enough surplus food will be shipped in to feed 4,000,000 need Algerians daily." .
That sounds like satisfaction for a lot of hun mouths. In the same dispatch, however, Braestrup admits that "This is about 600,000 rations less than the level recommended by the International League of Red Cross Societies. .. "
Nearly a month later, in a report in the February 9 New York Times, Braestrup suddenly switched tenses: ". . . since Independence came amid chaos in July, United States-supplied surplus wheat, soybean, oil and dried milk have staved off famine and bread riots among Algeria's 4,000,000 neediest Moslem peasants -- nearly half the population." |
This story appeared under the headline: "HELPING HANDS REACH
O ALGERIA." The implication is that after conversations between Premier Ben Bella and U.S.Ambassador William J. Porter (and, a little later, G. Mennen Williams, Kennedy's emissary to Africa), the U.S.government decided to mobilize massive aid for the newly independent country.
It is not at all clear, however, that a big new plen has been decided on. What Kennedy may do is place an official stamp of government approval on the relief schedule already being carried out by private agencies. He may even help them finance it by granting a trickle of America's surpluses. But this is far below the level needed in Algeria.
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The real situation is indicated by the following brief but graphic appeal issued by "Christianisme Social," a French religious agency, which was given prominent display today in Le Figaro, a leading morning newspaper in this city:
"Winter is still increasing the misery of the Algerian people. Children go barefooted in the mud. Dispensaries are taking in more than one hundred sick people a day, including skeleton-like babies.
"In addition to the Algerian government, the ‘Caritas Algerie,’ the 'Leacue of the Red Cross’ and the ‘Christian Committee of Service in Algeria’ have for months distributed food to help 5,000,000 people who, for the time being, are without any resources. The needs are urgent and we ask everyone to send:
"WARM CLOTHING in good condition, particularly for children and babies, but also for adults. ,
"MEDICINE «= antibiotics, vaccines, serums, antitubercular drugs, vitamins, anesthetics.
"SCHOOL SUPPLIES,”
Christianisme Social gives 20 rue de la Michodjére as its Paris address. Contributions should be marked "Algerie-Hiver 1963."
We suggést that people outside France send contributions directly to Algeria, preferably to the government-sponsored organization created for the benefit of the war orphans. The address is Association El Djil Bl Djadid, Haut Mont D'Hydra, Chemin de la adeleine, giers, geria.
Week ee are, See GSA cb. : i
ae : aye ' "OPERATION LITTLE SHOR-SHINE BOY"
When Algeria finally won independence last summer, one of the first changes noted by foreign correspondents was the disappearance of shoe-shine boys from the streets of Algiers, the capital city. This was considered by Algerian revolutionists to be a favorable sign.
Howéver, in the economic collapse that followed the flight of hundreds“of thousands of French technicians, businessmen and farmers, the shoe-shine boys reappeared in the main streets and principal squares. In front of restaurants, cafes and food stores, they clustered, appealing hopefully to:possible customers in Arabic, French and even English,’ "Shine, Mister?"
Reactionary newspapere in Paris noted this with satisfaction. A thrifty, industrious shoe-shine boy, it is well-known, has every chance under the capitalist system to become a millionaire.
Algerian revolutionists felt bitter and ashamed over the
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reappearance of small children, wandering the streets with their boxes, brushes and cans of polish.
Last week the government felt that it could take ection. In what it called "Operation Iittle Shoe-Shine Boy" it appesled to the families involved to put their children in school. Relief payments were guaranteed to make up for the loss of the pitiful earnings. Orphans were asked to report for placement in child centers where they could learn a trade.
It had been estimated that some hundreds of children were involved in Algiers. But more than one thousand responded,
To handle this many was beyond immediate possibilities; however, the government decided to make a start anyway. On February 16 several hundred young shoe shiners assembled in the square of Plateau des Glieres. There in a symbolical ceremony they smashed their shoe-shine boxes.
Said Premier Ben Bella, one of the speakers at the gathering: "We want to wipe out once and for all this colonialist caricature of the little shoe-shine boy, which was presented as a bit of folk lore ~~ to the tourists."
Ben Bella added: "In all frankness, the solution cannot de achieved today in view of its size, since a thousand of our brother shoe shiners presented themselves. Several hundreds will leave this very day for trade schools where they will receive an adequate education. . .. In March at the latest we will reach final proce~ dure on handling this agonizing problem.”
He held that by the end of the year Algeria will have made sufficient progress to at least be able to get its children off the streets and into homes and schools.
In Constantine a beginning was made by offering a free movie to shoe shiners. Some 800 responded. The next step in the plan is to begin giving them free school lessons.
WITCH-HUNT CONTINUES IN IRAQ
PARIS, Feb. 18 -- The massive "anti-Communist"