Figure 1.--Poland was a ajor battlefield on the world war I Eastern Front. The fighting disrupted the Polish economyabd food harvests and distribution. The United States attempted to get food to Poland, but both the British nd Germans resisted the idea. Thus America was unable to get food into Poland until after the War. The Polish children here are shown receiving American food relief in post-World war I Poland, probably in 1919. Poland was a priority for the Americn Relief Administration becuse of the enormous need.

American Relief efforts began in Belgium soon after the war erupted (August 1914). Belgium was a relatively easy country to get to as it was close to Britain and bordered on France. Soring out arrangements so the food would not fall in German hands was complicated, but worked out. Other countries were much more difficult to reach and this included Poland which was not yet a country when the war began. Poland was a major battleground on the Eastern Front (1914-15). Relief agencies in Poland were overwealmed and the Germans controlled food supplies. Polish grops in America collected relief supplies and money. The problem was that Germany stood between Poland and ports the United States could use to deliver the food. Hoover worked up a plan to use the Dutch port of Rotterdam. Monitoring food shipments to Belgium was one thing, doing it across Germany and into German-occupied Poland was quite a different matter and as a result the British opposed the Ameican plan. It would have required a staff monitoring the food to an extent that Germany would not permit. Hoover continued to press, convincing the British. His efforts failed, however, when the Germans demanded some of the food be used for their occupation forces. Hoover continued to press, but the effort had to be shelved when America entered the War (April 1917). As a result, it was not possible to aid Poland until after the War ended (November 1918). With the end of the war, the United states wouund down the USFA, but created a sucessor organization to deal with post-War relief--the American Relief Administration (ARA) (February 1919). USFA Director Herbert Hoover was put in charge. The ARA inherited the USFA staff with extenive relief experience. The ARA was funded by both the U,S, Congress and private donations. Poland wss a major relief priority because ofvhe desperate need. The ARA eventually provided food to 23 countries, but about 20 percent went to war-torn Poland which had been a major battle ground on the Eastern Front. At the end of the War, the Second Polish Republic was founded making Poland a nation again for the first time since the 18th century Polish partitions. And as result fighting resumed, the Germans withdrew except forsime birder areas, but the Bolsheviks were determined to quash an independent Poland--resulting in the Polish-Soviet war. ARA assistance in Polnd went primarily to children. And as in other areas was mostly distributed by the Red Cross. Some of the food got to Polish soldiers fighting the Bolsheviks. The desperately needed food saved millions of lives. Polish President Józef Piłsudski wrote to Hoover thanking him. A street in Warsaw was named after him. Hoover was awarded honorary degrees from Jagiellonian University, Warsaw University and Lviv University.

The Polish Problem

American Relief efforts began in Belgium soon after the war erupted (August 1914). Belgium was a relatively easy country to get to as it was close to Britain and bordered on France. Soring out arrangements so the food would not fall in German hands was complicated, but worked out. Other countries were much more difficult to reach and this included Poland which was not yet a country when the war began. Poland was a major battleground on the Eastern Front (1914-15). Relief agencies in Poland were overwealmed and the Germans controlled food supplies. Polish grops in America collected relief supplies and money. The problem was that Germany stood between Poland and ports the United States could use to deliver the food. Hoover worked up a plan to use the Dutch port of Rotterdam. Monitoring food shipments to Belgium was one thing, doing it across Germany and into German-occupied Poland was quite a different matter and as a result the British opposed the Ameican plan. It would have required a staff monitoring the food to an extent that Germany would not permit. Hoover continued to press, convincing the British. His efforts failed, however, when the Germans demanded some of the food be used for their occupation forces. Hoover continued to press, but the effort had to be shelved when America entered the War (April 1917). As a result, it was not possible to aid Poland until after the War ended (November 1918).

American Relief Administration

With the end of the war, the United states wouund down the United states Food Administration (USFA), but created a sucessor organization to deal with post-War relief--the American Relief Administration (ARA) (February 1919). USFA Director Herbert Hoover was put in charge. The ARA inherited the USFA staff with extenive relief experience. The ARA was funded by both the U.S. Congress and private donations.

Independence

the Second Polish Republic was founded making Poland a nation again for the first time since the 18th century Polish partitions. And as result fighting resumed, the Germans withdrew except forsime birder areas, but the Bolsheviks were determined to quash an independent Poland--resulting in the Polish-Soviet war.

Priority Effort

Poland wss a major relief priority because ofvhe desperate need. Colonel Alvin B. Barber headed the ARA group in Poland (1919-22). The ARA eventually provided food to 23 countries, but about 20 percent went to war-torn Poland which had been a major battle ground on the Eastern Front. At the end of the War, ARA assistance in Polnd went primarily to children. And as in other areas was mostly distributed by the Red Cross. The ARA initially plan was to provide relief to Poland until the country recovered from the devesttion of the war. Before the sitiation was fully understood, ARA planners were thinking about a year when a new harvest would restock food supplies. The initial target date was August 1, 1919. Hoover plnned a trip to Europe to officially close down the effort.

Jews

Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe. As a result of Tsarist policy, they were largely poor before the War. And unlike many Poles did not live on farms providing access to food. The ARA Hoover set up 1,500 feeding centers for Jewish children, aided by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Hoover Visit (August 1919)

ARA Director Hoover visited Europe on an inspection tour to assess how his agency had coped with the humaniraian effort (August 1919). It was initially thought the effort could be ended or sharoly reduced at this time. While in Poland, he witnessed a heartbreaking scene. Some 25,000 children in Warsaw had walked barefoot to greet him and pay homage for the food America was providing. He was moved by the demonstration and the need he saw. He immediately telegraphed a call for aid. And Americaesponded with 0.7 million overcoats and 0.7 milliom pairs of shoes for the children The shipmebts reached Poland before the onset of winter. Another 0.5 million coats and shoes were delivered during the next 2 years. It was apparent to Hoover and his staff, that Poland and other countries needed continued relief efforts for some time.

New Policy

Hover and the ARA after determining that continued relief aid was needed, decided to gradually shift responsibility to a local organization. The ARA created a Polish relief organization -- the Polish Children’s Relief Committee (CKPD). Its mission was to operate and maintain relief efforts until normal life was reestablished, especially food production. The ARA began shipping donated foodstuffs for Polish children through Danzig which was made a free city. s cinditions improved food shipments were supplied on credit.

Polish-Soviet War (19190-21)

The Bolsheviks attacked the Poles to regain former Tsarist territory (1919). The rsulting Polish-Soviet War did further damage to a country that was just begging to recover from World war I. Most of Poland had been part of the Tsarist Empire. The Bolsheviks succed in winning back a substntial portion of Poland which was an ethnically diverse area, including areas of modern Belarus. TheBolsheviks drove deep into Poland, inckuding areas with polish ethnic populrions before being driven back. The Bolheviks requisitioned of food and livestock to feed their army. This left Polnd in desperate srraits again. The ARA decided to extend its work in Poland. The ARA provided 0.5 billion meals to starving Poles (1922). Some of the food got to Polish soldiers fighting the Bolsheviks.

Results

'The desperately needed food saved millions of lives.

Honors

Polish President Józef Piłsudski wrote to Hoover thanking him. A street in Warsaw was named after him. Hoover was awarded honorary degrees from Jagiellonian University, Warsaw University and Lviv University.

World War II

Former ARA Administrator Hoover again pursued relief efforts after Hitler and Stalin launched World war II. Hoover organized a Commission for Polish Relief (CPR) also called Comporel or the Hoover Commission (late-1939). CPR rovided relieef supplies to NAZI-occupied Poland, including Polish Jews. We are not sure abour Soviet-occupied Poland. As a result the ghettoes the NAZIs set up in Poland while restrictive and inhumane, were not yet genocidal as a result of the CPR food deliveries. This changed after Hitler declared war on America (December 1941). The Jews then had noting to supplent the NAZI starvation food rations. And a few months months lter the death camps open and industrialkzed mass murder began (April 1942). NAZI rations to the Christian Poles were very low, but well above the Jewish rations.

Created: 5:14 AM 4/25/2013
Last updated: 7:07 AM 2/3/2016