OPERATION MERCY

[Music] so [Music] so [Music] from the churches of the united states to the hungry people of the world from rural americans from the farms and farm organizations from america food distributed abroad through crop the christian rural overseas program and the first coordinated catholic and protestant church action of its kind in the history of civilization more than 2 392 carloads last year to orphanages and institutions for the aged and ill refugees in the homeless to the people of europe and asia irrespective of race or creed a magnificent act of mercy yes it is although fundamentally it's simply a matter of seeing the need and as christians doing something about it the future too is equally plain more must be done as need still exists war scars are not quickly healed though progress has been made the ravages of nature add to the aftermath of battle every stalk of grain is vital to those who remain without adequate food there are those whose savings have been wiped out by war or currency reforms those in despair and what still suffering the young deserve to eat and to sleep in health needs still exists and the sponsors of crop continue to do something about it catholic rural life helps by serving the war relief services of the national catholic welfare conference lutheran world relief serving the churches of the national lutheran council and church world service by serving 22 protestant denominations these three stand together in this vast operation of mercy but it's the people the rural people who make crop the gigantic operation that it is acting through their churches one hundred thousand volunteered in last year's campaign now you're asked to assist again or for your first time your farm organization can give you information actively supporting crop are the american farm bureau federation grange farmers union and the association of farm cooperatives attend a county crop meeting you'll learn about your state crop committee how it functions through corresponding county committees with all major church and farm organizations represented in a neighborly drive for food you can volunteer to be a canvasser and perform a christian service crop seeks farm commodities all to be accepted crop needs gifts in kind from the fields orchard and livestock pens the canvassers obtain food pledges farm by farm finding kindness throughout the nation farmers welcome the opportunity to give farm commodities crops purpose is to save lives bring hope and build a better world every pledge of food is a step in that direction each person who contributes is asked to sign a pledge in which he designates the church agency the one which he wishes to distribute his contribution overseas commodities sustained life your pledge of corn wheat cotton soybeans dairy products rice dried fruits nuts or wool is important [Music] at the end of the harvest the food is collected in the friendly spirit of a husking bee in the rich tradition of the american farmer the neighborly way of healthfulness crop food goes to 22 countries in europe and asia commodities are received for the jewish joint distribution committee quakers mennonites relief committee of the southern baptist convention and others as crop emphasizes collecting farm commodities in bulk for church-sponsored institutions and individuals it is unlike any other program with shipments involved substantial savings are gained by this method of distribution when the food actually starts on its way a person can be pardoned if he takes pride in what his community has done ohio a year ago a prayer of dedication from the hearts of the people themselves who donated the food who gave humbly in the matter of christ iowa later the same year with similar dedications in state after state a man speaks donors are thanked but these are only the words the real thanks are written on the faces of the people who receive this food not only a carload of milk a carload of gratitude more than honey it's nourishment in life wherever a crop train leaves the world is brought closer together at the seaport the commodities move on the organization is swift careful efficient experienced administrators route the food to the areas of greatest need and 99 and 7 10 percent has been delivered without loss by theft or to the black market only carload lots are shipped no individual packages boat shipments are economical easier to control and the savings increase the amount of goods available good neighbors yes rural americans are good neighbors operation mercy is only for those too poor to buy food in their own countries because this food strengthens american ties overseas our government pays overseas freight behind is a land of plenty ahead our countries that no hunger the food collected only for those in dire need is on its way from rural americans from the farms from our churches deaths of the world and for distribution through established church agencies to the media [Music] the marshall plan supplies food for purchase it is not a relief program crops food is for those too poor to buy necessities the government programs restore economy by providing goods for purchase flower from missouri nears its long slot goal little time is lost in this instance between arrival of the raw food and its processing into the finished product other raw commodities will go to more distant distribution points the bread will be parceled out as far as it can go but still there will not be enough processing of the cotton provides jobs for refugees and others as well as needed clothes to those who have lost everything now by train and by truck additional commodities move on the truck approaches the yunkantime youth home salesianum several blocks from the headquarters in munich of the military government of bavaria these boys are among the many aided by the national catholic welfare council liaison officer father alfred a schneider of wisconsin greece brother leo wrote director of the home a bag of flour is carried in followed by cereal in germany there are 20 similar institutions operated by a catholic order founded long ago the poster indicates the food is from america most of them are refugees unwanted when food and jobs are scarce they have only their church to look to for help the improved diet has been a major factor in the rebuilding of these human lives if there's a drop more he'll get it there it's gone this is one of the 30 refugee families living in a single condemned building julius cowels a local representative of church world service comes prepared for whatever he may find with katarina's health he needs prunes lard cereal flour and cheese vladimir katarina's husband is too ill to work their baby sometimes cries at night because there is so little food the contribution from church world service is especially timely the church world representative asks the husband to sign for the food on the shelf behind are the scarred pots in which katarina cooks he writes slowly because of his illness the doc owl transient camp is within sight of the woods which shelter the infamous gas ovens of the dachau extermination center these are third and fourth generation immigrants return to germany by potsdam agreement these people receive only subsistence support crop provides flour and cereal night and morning the food is bread and barley coffee at noon it's soup for stew [Music] one barrack is the hospital the pregnant woman receives potatoes and flour dumplings and spinach and eggs in the same room many cases of buried madness hysteria and nervous breakdown have occurred but the people carry on more food goes to an old people's community in schleichtein bavaria through crop church world service supplements the diet of 200 old persons living here making her way down the stairs is mother palacio for three years a camp resident a nurse for 50 years she speaks to the welfare officer then stations herself to watch the delivery most of the residents are 70 or over the arrival of food is a great event for them and they speculate about it their stories are similar they're polish or russian professional people kidnapped by the nazi warlords eating his vegetable soup and toast is the father of the greek orthodox church he is the only survivor of a purge which took his entire family mother pelagia eats heartily once a law clerk in estonia now a man of 70 whose dignity remains to taunt the tyranny of poverty concrete air raid bunkers are home for thousands in frankfurt some families are lucky they can live and eat together within the bunker the father of building laborer helping to reconstruct the city's main street shops earns 50 a month in actual purchasing power crop provides part of one meal per day for the children of elementary school age to help round out their diet [Music] a neighbor's child at the end is a guest at their meal of onion flavored boiled potatoes jelly bread herzog's coffee and sauerkraut they're one of the few refugee families to have a home of their own but others uprooted by war are not so blessed the sisters of divine love with the aid of catholic war relief services provide one hot meal a day for another group crop beans and flour form a substantial part of the sister's food supply are the people grateful the awareness of operation mercy is deep in her eyes she's a 70 year old former housemaid now trying to live on a pension of 40 deutsche mark monthly the whole sum will buy her about as much as a 10 bill would buy in the united states it pays only for rent for dessert today a roll with flavored lard [Music] the residents of this refugee camp are fox deutsch 11 million of whom are in germany and austria they are refugees whose ancestors once held german citizenship no international refugee organization funds have been allotted for their care this camp is one of the best when the fox deutsch came there were not even barracks now there's a going community with kitchen dining barrack kindergarten courtyard small garden and living quarters the cab is in gross ardern munich and the people are particularly proud of it the kindergarten exemplifies their work little albert an exile from poland helps with a serving direction and aid have been given to the cooperation of lutheran world relief through which crop flower has been made available [Music] no it's not a race to see who finishes first they're really hungry well trout isn't far behind she isn't going to leave anything either [Music] the adults receive their food in the community dining barrack cafeteria style there's only one plate for each person [Music] many of these people at one time were prosperous farmers in the now polish area formerly east germany a source of great pride is their community dining room which they decorated and frightened themselves crop supplies also go to this lutheran children's home in munich through lutheran world relief supplies are stored in the wooden barrack across the court from the home inside it is cold and almost as empty as mother hubbard's cupboard crop provided supplies of powdered milk are still on hand however sister babetta draws from the carefully guarded supply since 1912 this lutheran institution has sheltered homeless children there are now 120 youngsters to feed she receives her supplies and turns to go her smile alone being enough to cheer a homeless child the milk formula made with the powdered milk is fed to one of the score of babies in the institution this baby is in the home because his parents live in a camp for fox deutsch where 15 adults share a single room waiting in vienna is a bag of flour from minnesota and behind her bags of cropped dried beans she's preparing family food boxes in the main warehouse for austria rail car lots of food are stored here including virtually all crop food allocated to the country the brethren service commission distributes some church world service supplies rosemary block a representative of the brethren service commission takes a food box to a young couple who are in hitler's slave labor corps during the war [Music] food is their major problem the father has never been able to find employment although his work permit shows that he's reported to the labor office each monday and thursday ready to take almost any kind of work thus his family is on local relief receiving about twenty percent of the sum necessary to live in health and cleanliness heart weary and turned in upon themselves they have few visitors and go outside but rarely aid from america does reach them occasionally rosemary brings them cropped beans flour and powdered milk the mother does not expect the children to see food without wanting some at once she makes warm milk and augments it with her last breath indeed there is still an illness upon the world the people in need work as best they can to help themselves they're rebuilding slowly with the tools available in the bomb-torn debris of the old country in europe in war-ravaged asia they are making little go far they are doing what is in their power to do but in spite of everything need still exists for the homeless and hungry more must be done through the christian rural overseas program our churches and farm organizations and our own good will we too can share in operation mercy speaking to you now i have but one question to ask a hungry child were on your doorstep you would feed it wouldn't you [Music] you